


Crawling

by PlagueHound



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Armin Arlert - Freeform, Eren Yeager - Freeform, Eren Yeager x Armin Arlert - Freeform, M/M, Zombie AU, attack on titan - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-08-19 00:33:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 34,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20200783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlagueHound/pseuds/PlagueHound
Summary: An unexplained outbreak strikes suddenly, leaving everyone struggling for survival.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! Plague here 😎 This is something I started working on recently in hopes for it to be my first big project. It will consist of multiple chapters. For now, I hope you enjoy the start of this story. Please excuse any spelling errors I might have missed 😅 I’m pretty scatterbrained and as always, feedback and criticism is appreciated!
> 
> I do not own any of the characters in this work. They belong to Hajime Isayama.

The screams were deafening. Ripping from the throats of thousands of innocent people in an apocalyptic choir that rose into the amber smoke filled sky. But even when they eventually fell silent, the agonizing echoes could still be heard in his head and were now accompanied by the deep growling of the undead that took reign of the blood soaked streets. Every now and again there would be a straggler crying for help. It never lasted long though. Teeth being the silencer while they tore through flesh. Everything had happened so fast. It spread quicker than the wind blowing through town, growing with each victim like a wildfire until it had consumed everything.

And he was all alone. 

Armin’s body was trembling from the shock and stress he was under along with the fatigue from quite literally running for his life. By some miracle, he had managed to fight off a couple of the monsters who were once people and took refuge in a dark corner of an abandoned building. Subduing them was painstakingly difficult as they were very strong and the thought of killing another person, even given the situation, frightened him. He had to keep telling himself that it was the only way he could get away alive.

The blood of the townsfolk was on his hands, all over his clothes, even in his hair and face and all over his arms. He picked his head up slowly from the fetal position he was in and looked at the bloodied wrench beside him. The memories of it bludgeoning people moments ago flashed in his mind viciously, each sound of steel upon flesh and bone screaming at him. Light blue eyes went wide before he doubled over and threw up what his stomach had to offer.

A choked sob crept it’s way out after he sat back against the wall. How much longer could he really stay here? How much longer until he was being feasted on? Where were his friends? Where was Eren? Soft sniffles filled the small dark corner he was in until a crash from outside made him jolt and go completely quiet.

His entire body froze up and his eyes darted across each entrance of the room. Not much could be seen through the windows since the sun had already set pretty far and most of the sky was clouded over by the smoke from all the fires scattered across town. While keeping perfectly still, he listened and looked for any sign of anything really. Weirdly enough, it was just the crash and nothing else.

No growling, which was especially good, but he knew sound attracted them. That much was apparent from how they huddled around houses with screaming families in them.

Despite his curiosity, he didn’t want to get up to see what it was. He wasn’t ready to fight again, but adrenaline made him stand on his feet when a sudden banging came from the door furthest from him. They were here. The door rattled in it’s frame with each hit and the screeching of nails on steel as they clawed to get in sent shivers down his spine. With his wrench held tightly, he swallowed and very slowly maneuvered his way towards the only other door the building had.

Each step felt so slow but he knew he had to be quiet. Once he was far enough, Armin reached a shaking hand towards the doorknob and took it firmly. As it began to turn, it made a small squealing sound which made the banging on the opposite door halt. Armin tensed up while he turned around to investigate as his heart hammered roughly against his chest. Seconds seemed like minutes until the banging started back up with even more force than before.

Reaching for the doorknob again, Armin turned it without hesitation until it clicked open just as the other door was knocked off of its hinges and he went ghostly white when he saw what was standing within the frame. Twitching and growling hungrily, the figure of a tall man sauntered in looked around. It was the most grotesque thing he had ever seen. Organs spilled out of a large gash across its stomach and blood leaked out like a faucet. Each staggering step brought it closer and it sniffed the air like an animal that was hunting. Armin could feel tears brimming on his eyes as it moved closer and he gripped the wrench desperately.

‘N-No...please...’ Armin pleaded in his mind until suddenly the man’s neck snapped towards his direction and he rushed at Armin, making him scream and run for the door he’d opened. By the skin of his teeth he managed to make it out but the ravenous man was hot on him, growling and snapping his jaws. 

“Please! Help me!” Armin cried, weaving through the alleyways to try and lose his pursuer while at the same time watching out for any others.

His shriek filled the air when he felt it grab his shirt and panic set in. He turned his body and swung the wrench, landing a hard hit to the monster. It growled painfully and staggered back only to lunge again while Armin got his footing. He reached for and caught one of the arms that flew towards him to hold back the fiend so that the other could swing the wrench a second time.

Armin let out another pained cry when the creatures unattended hand reached for and gripped his side, feeling the skin that covered his ribs become crushed under the grasp. It was so strong and Armin screamed more while he slammed his weapon against the skull. The growling became more and more intense with each hit until it eventually began to quiet when Armin broke through bone and the force that had reanimated the man began to fade.

The body before him went limp and doubled forward onto Armin as they both fell to the ground. Feeling the rush of energy beginning to leave him again, Armin could feel the sobs returning when tears fell. He could feel warmth pooling slowly around him and it brought him out of his relieved state for a moment, making him shove the body off of him in a hurried manner. Because of the wounds the man that attacked him had, he was now drenched in even more blood from his neck to his waist.

The sight of it was almost too much to bear. He brought his stained hands up to his face and cried softly as he looked at them. Before he even had time to relax, he heard quick steps approaching and a pleading voice. A woman rounded the corner and saw Armin on the ground.

“Please! I need help! Please help me!” She shrieked, staggering closer in desperation. She was holding her arm where blood could be seen leaking from the spot she was covering. Armin couldn’t speak. He stood up and backed away slowly out of fear. 

“I-I.. I can’t.. I-“ He began before he was cut off by the woman falling to the ground and beginning to seize.

Gurgling sounds erupted from her and her body contorted in ways that were painful to look at and it made Armin nearly pass out. Of course, the commotion had attracted more of the rabid creatures and he knew his time here was quickly running out when the writhing woman began to finish the change. The sight of them coming from the distance gathered Armin’s strength for him before he took off running any direction he could with his wrench in hand.

The pain of each step made his legs tremble with fatigue and he would’ve given anything to rest but he knew he couldn’t. Not until he was sure he was safe. He continued running, checking the alleys on both sides of him as best he could. All of a sudden, he was grabbed and pulled into the darkness and before he even had time to scream a hand was quickly placed over his mouth. Still, horrified noises clashed with the hand that muffled them and he struggled like an animal in a trap. He was forcefully dragged against his will further back and into a doorway that was quickly closed behind him.

“Armin! Armin, calm down! It’s me!” Came a familiar voice. It took Armin a few moments to even realize that someone was talking to him before the comprehension of who it was set in and his body relaxed as he was let go. When he turned around and saw Eren, tears fell immediately and he dropped to his knees. Eren hurriedly followed his obviously shaken friend to the floor and wrapped his arms around him while he cried. 

“Shh, Armin. It’s okay. I’m here now. It’s okay.” Eren cooed in a loving and calming voice, rubbing Armin’s back to try and ease him and quiet him down.

“Please, babe... Please tell me that none of this blood is yours.” The sight of Armin so bloodied up had Eren’s concerns sky high. 

“N-No..” Armin sniffled, gripping Eren’s shirt desperately. 

“Are you hurt? Do you have any bites?” Eren asked again, slowly pulling from the hug even though Armin didn’t want him to. His careful hands checked Armin over, tilting his head to look at his neck. Nothing there. He then lifted his shirt and scanned his chest. With so much blood on his shirt, Armin’s skin had already been dyed a redder color but the mark on his side was visible. Eren paled when he saw it and moved in to check it out. When he touched it, Armin winced and gripped the other’s shirt tighter.

“I’m sorry, Armin. I just... I have to be sure..” Eren examined the wound and saw that there were nail marks and blood but he couldn’t tell if it was Armin’s or not. 

“Are you okay? How do you feel?” There was so much they didn’t know about the situation but they were sure that bites were lethal. 

“I-I’m fine.. I’m just so s-scared...” Armin whispered, his eyes begging to be held again. After giving Armin a full head-to-toe check, Eren sighed and hugged him when he saw that everything seemed fine. If something was wrong, he would’ve turned by now.

“You’re okay.. My god Armin, you’re okay.” Eren felt his own tears brimming from the sheer happiness. 

“Eren... A-Are you hurt?” Armin asked as his crying calmed a bit.

“No, I’m fine. Just a few scrapes.” Eren made sure to reassure Armin, kissing the top of his head. Armin slowly began to relax more in Eren’s arms and his eyes closed halfway.

“What’s happening, Eren..?” He whimpered, clinging to the other with tears continuing to fall. 

“I don’t know, Armin.”


	2. Death Comes Knocking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plague here once more! Finally.. 
> 
> I planned to put this chapter up earlier but I got caught up with studying for an important exam. I spent a lot of time with that and then right after I took it, I managed to land a job. That took even more time away from writing but now that I've gotten into the swing of things at work, I should be able to put out these chapters a little faster. 
> 
> This one is a BEHEMOTH of a chapter and I honestly didn't think it would be this long but the ideas kept coming. Also, as I was writing, I realized that the first few chapters might not make so much sense regarding the order they're in, so I'll explain. The events in this chapter take place BEFORE the prologue.
> 
> Anyway, I'll stop talking now! I hope you all enjoy it and as always, feedback and criticism is appreciated! Please excuse any errors I might have missed.

**One Week Until Outbreak**

The school bell finally rang for lunch and everyone hustled out to the courtyard for some well deserved free time. Eren, Armin and Mikasa walked casually among the other clamoring teenagers to their spot underneath a large oak tree where their friends were waiting for them.

"Took you guys long enough! As always, we're waiting for you three!" Jean scoffed, taking a sip of his tea. Eren was about to start his usual fighting back but was interrupted by a sigh from Ymir.

"Lay off 'em, Jean. The school is packed like sardines at this time." She rolled her eyes at the brunette and leaned cutely against Historia. 

"All that matters is that I got my sweet Historia out without a scratch, right dear?" She cooed with a boastful grin.

"Of course! But we have to make sure the whole group makes it to lunch in one piece, right? It's no fun without all of us together." Historia giggled. The trio took their seats and opened up their lunches while Sasha and Connie finished what was left of theirs.

"Ugh… Class was such a drag today. I don't know how much more of this my brain can take." Connie yawned as he laid down on the grass with his hands behind his head.

"Whoa, wait you actually have one of those in that dome of yours? That's hard to believe." Jean sneered while the others laughed.

"Don't be so mean. I think Connie is a really smart person." Marco blushed. He was always there to lend a compliment after the insults. They all enjoyed the company and the delicious food, laughing and joking around without a care in the world.

"You need to be studying more too, Eren. Every time I quiz you, you mix up your answers and get all flustered." Armin was laying with his head on Eren's lap while Eren sat against the tree.

"Oh, whatever. I won't use any of this information when we're out in the real world anyway. What's the point?" He grumbled.

"Whether you use it or not doesn't make it any less important. They're teaching us this stuff for a reason." Mikasa said calmly.

"Maybe he just needs a new study partner. Let's be real here, you know he's not focusing on anything but Armin when they're all alone together. I bet you two study real hard on the bed." Ymir winked and Eren went red in the face along with Armin. 

"H-Hey! That's not true!" Of course, Eren was lying through his teeth. He was almost constantly in a daydream when Armin read to him and he did find himself distracted by the other fairly often. Although, he never complained and was the instigator most of the time. 

"Oh trust me, I get it." Ymir threw her arms around Historia and gave her a cute kiss on her head. "But at least my grades are in the green." 

"Okay, before this gets a little too heated for us single people, why don't we change the subject." Jean groaned with a secret jealousy of his friends. The one time he asked Mikasa out was an utter failure which had his confidence at rock bottom for at least a week.

"So guys, have you been watching the news? What do you think about all of those weird stories?" Connie raised a brow and asked the question in a somewhat serious manner.

"Again, with that? You've played too many video games and it's getting to your head." Sasha nudged him and looked up at the sky.

"Oh yeah, I've been keeping up. Like the one where they found that guy with his whole face missing? That was sick." Ymir grinned, poking Historia's cheek. 

"He was obviously attacked by an animal or something. I don't know why they made such a big deal about it." Jean replied.

"That's not what the police said. The way it was all torn up? That was no animal." Ymir gave a sinister look. 

"Really? What do you think it was?" Armin directed his slightly frightened gaze to Ymir. 

"Hell if I know." 

"Well, there's horror movies like that aren't there? Where people eat other people?" Marco asked curiously.

"Yeah, of course. Sasha and I watch them all the time." Connie paused. "You know, that actually kind of makes sense. I mean, if it wasn't an animal that attacked that guy, then it had to have been another person, right?"

"They make horror movies for just about everything. That doesn't make it real. You all are a bunch of superstitious kids, I swear." Jean frowned. Out of everyone in the group, Jean was the one who hated to admit his fears the most. He wanted to be the one out of all of them that made rational decisions and kept a leveled head during any kind of situation.

"You are right, Jean. But it makes sense for us to question the possibility of it being real too. Even though it's frightening to think about." Armin sighed softly and maintained most of his composure although fear was growing inside of him.

"Plus, people mess around with all kinds of drugs. Who knows what kind of shit they get into." Jean shrugged.

"But you have to admit it's weird. People are disappearing too. With no explanation." Connie continued until Eren's expression turned concerned as well. 

"Actually, my dad was called out somewhere but he didn't say where. Just that he would be back later. He didn't even tell mom." He explained. Connie rolled onto his side and looked at Eren just as everyone else did.

"You don't say? Your dad is one of the best doctors in Shinganshina. This is too weird, man.."

"Maybe he's just helping treat people at a bigger doctors office? It is his job to help people after all." Marco smiled to hide his own nervousness concerning the turn the conversation had taken.

"I mean, I guess but I just have a weird feeling." Connie sighed and laid back down. Truthfully they were all a little on edge about it. Yes, there were stories about drug abuse from time to time but it was strange for it to constantly be on the news.

"What if we're just being invaded by aliens like the ones in the movies that destroy planets?" 

"Connie, knock it off. You're getting everyone all worked up for nothing. Whatever it is, someone is taking care of it. Now drop it and let's talk about something else." Jean knew that Connie only meant it as a joke, but his concerns about the stories and how gruesome they sounded were very real. Hearing about it all the time was hard enough and he even made it a point to keep the television off in his room.

"Yeah, you're right." With that Connie ended the conversation and they switched back to their light joking and teasing up until the bell rang for them to begin the second half of the school day. 

At the final bell they all said their goodbyes and went their separate ways except Eren, Armin and Mikasa. Since they all lived in the same direction, they always walked together and took the same route every day. Eren and Mikasa were making small conversation as they walked and it didn't take long for them to realize that Armin was being particularly quiet.

"Armin? What's the matter?" Mikasa asked softly, eyeing him from beside Eren. 

"Nothing. I'm just tired." He lied.

"Tired? From what? You were pretty bright-eyed during lunch." Eren paused. "Did what Connie say bother you?" Armin shook his head.

"N-No not really. I just… Did your dad really get called?" Armin held onto the strap of his bag nervously.

"Well yeah, but it's just because he's so great at what he does. Right, Mikasa?" Eren smiled, now sensing the discomfort in Armin.

"Eren has a point, but still, it's natural to worry. Just give it some time and I'm sure things will get better." Mikasa made sure to sound as reassuring as possible even though her gut feeling had her mind in almost the same state of worry as Armin.

"Well this is our stop. You heading straight home, Armin?" Eren smiled as he turned to face him.

"Yeah.. Grandpa should have dinner waiting. I'll see you guys tomorrow." Armin nodded and turned to leave before a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Hey, aren't you forgetting something?" Eren smirked, making a cute kissing gesture.

"Huh? O-Oh…yeah. I-I'm sorry." By now, his nervousness was going through the roof and his mind was playing at a million miles an hour. Somehow, being told not to worry only made him worry more. Giving Eren a soft peck on the lips, he quickly turned and began to walk home. Eren and Mikasa stood and watched him, both feeling guilty about just letting him go.

"I think I'll have a talk with Connie tomorrow so he won't bring that up again." Eren frowned ahead. 

"That's a good idea. Maybe tell Ymir something about it too." She paused. "How do you really feel about it though? Everything going on? And your dad?"

"I don't know honestly." Eren shrugged. "I wasn't gonna say it but obviously something is wrong. For them to have called dad… I just don't know."

**Final Hours Before Outbreak**

_'EMERGENCY BROADCAST: Due to the influx of reported violent acts, we advise that you please avoid areas with high population and avoid traveling. Do not stay out late at night unless absolutely necessary. If you come across any person or persons experiencing abnormal symptoms or unnatural aggression, please contact authorities immediately.'_

It had been showing up on the bottom of every channel since sometime the day before and frankly, Jean was sick of it. 

‘Tch... Why are they still making us go to school then? What the hell is going on?’ He growled to himself as he got ready to go anyway. He wasn’t the only one who was worried at this point. 

Everyone else was questioning what to do considering the warnings that were issued and most of them made the choice to either stay put or leave. Marco left a couple of days ago to go be with his parents in their hometown. Ymir picked up Historia and they decided it would be best to heed the warning and move towards a less populated town. Sasha and Connie packed what they could and did the same after Sasha failed to get in touch with her father in the town he lived in. 

The phone signals were steadily getting worse until they stopped working almost entirely and traffic in and out of town was a disaster to say the least. Military vehicles of all kinds were coming and going in droves and it was signs like those that had them sure that the media was lying about something. It was far too much effort to quiet down a few acts of seemingly random drug violence. 

Eren and Mikasa woke early for school, dressing and making their way to the dining room for a quick breakfast that Carla had waiting. 

“Mikasa, you look a little pale. Are you okay?” She asked while serving them a glass of orange juice.

“Yes, I’m fine. Just a headache.” Mikasa gave a small smile and took a light sip of the refreshing drink. 

“Aw, dear.. Make sure you take it easy at school today. Eren, I expect you’ll keep and eye on her.” 

“Yeah, yeah..” Eren nodded as he ate his food. It didn’t take the two long to finish and they were ready to head out for the day.

“Hey, mom? Have you heard from dad yet?” Eren asked with his hand on the doorknob.

“No, sweetie, not yet. He’ll give us a call soon I’m sure. Both of you have a good day and please, be careful.” Carla smiled and they headed out to where they usually met up with Armin. When they saw that he wasn’t there, they began to worry. It wasn’t like him to miss school or be late.

“I bet he was up all night again... Dammit. I’m seriously gonna give Connie and Ymir a beating. Scaring us for no reason.” Eren frowned with grit teeth as he reached for his phone to call Armin. For a while the phone was silent until the call suddenly dropped which only upset Eren more.

“Dammit! What’s with the phone service lately?!” He growled, trying again and again before giving up. 

“Maybe he’s at school already. Let’s just go.” Mikasa remained calm despite her head hurting and they headed towards the school. 

As they walked, there was an unnatural sort of tension lingering in the air and despite the normal hustle and bustle of the morning, it seemed awfully quiet. People seemed out of sorts and at a glance, paranoid as if they were being watched from all angles. As the two made one of the last turns towards the school, the sound of a vehicle approaching closely from behind made them turn. 

“Mom?” Eren raised a brow as she pulled over next to them.

“Eren, your father just called. We need to go. Get in the car.” Even though she tried her best to sound strong, her voice rippled with worry. Both Eren and Mikasa looked at each other before doing as they were told and the car sped off. As they passed straight by their house without stopping, Eren sat up and looked around.

“Wait, where are we going?” 

“He said for us to meet him at the stadium. That’s where he was called to.” Carla explained, watching the roads carefully as she drove. The stadium was quite a distance away and sat towards the outer edge of town. It was mostly used for sports, however with each mile closer they got, more vehicles of the military variety could be seen. Eren watched them closely and frowned in confusion. 

“Mom, what is this? What’s happening?” His concern was steadily increasing as well as Mikasa’s. Without an answer, they continued on the drive until they arrived at the gates that were just recently added when the military took over the area. One would think that they were assembled to keep something out by the look of them. As they approached the scene, military guards walked towards the car and spoke to Carla while eyeing Eren and Mikasa. To any normal person, the sudden militarization of a place like this was suspicious at best and only adding to that was the amount of medical staff that accompanied them. The soldiers made quick work of asking about the family, who they were and who requested that they come here. 

“Ah, you made it! Thank goodness.” Grisha called out as he walked closer to meet with his family. 

“Come with me. I have our arrangements ready for use.” He nodded. Everyone stepped out of the vehicle and it was taken by the soldiers who had briefed them before Grisha led them inside.

“Hold on! Dad what’s happening? Why won’t anyone say anything?!” Eren growled, stopping in his tracks and refusing to move until he received some kind of explanation. 

“I’ll explain when we get to where we’re staying.” And with that, Grisha continued until they were further into the building. It had undergone an almost complete transformation with a bunch of white tents scattered over the turf and both military and medical staff everywhere. They continued past all that to a secondary room that was hidden away. It appeared to have been an office before it had been turned into a shelter of some sort with small cots on the floor. One for each of them.

“I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want you all to worry.” Grisha began. “I’m sure you’ve been watching and listening to the news, right? Well there’s a sickness going around and it’s infecting a lot of people. We’re trying to contain it and those who are infected at the time, but it’s spreading rather quickly.” He explained. 

“What do you mean 'trying' to contain it? Are we going to be okay?” Carla asked, her face frightened from the words that came from her husband.

“Yes, we will be fine. As long as you’re here with me. This place has been turned into a shelter until what’s happening outside can be contained.” Everyone except for Eren dismissed the fact that Grisha avoided the answer to the most important of those questions. 

“If this is so bad, then how come there aren’t more people here? Why are there just doctors and soldiers?” He frowned. 

It was true, their family were the only regular looking people that he had seen at the entrance. There was not a single civilian in sight. Grisha looked at Eren with a stern look. The same look he gave him when he was misbehaving.

“Son, I am a doctor, and as my family you all are first to safety in the event of an emergency like this.” He knew Eren would bark the truth out of him eventually and decided to just say it, which made anger boil in Eren.

“What do you mean, we’re first to get in? What makes us any more special than the people still out there? Are you telling me you’re just going to leave them?!” He growled. Grisha stepped towards him and gripped his shoulders.

“Keep your voice down! I told you that we’re working on it and no, we aren’t leaving people out there. Later on, there will be a message sent out to allow entry to everyone who isn’t sick. For now, calm down.” The eye contact between the two was intense and Eren shoved his fathers hands off of him.

“Armin is still out there! What about him?! How do you know that everyone else will make it in time?!” Eren’s heart was pounding against his chest in anger and he clenched his fists when his fathers expression showed no signs of changing.

“They will, Eren. If you want, I will go pick up Armin and his grandfather myself but I cannot do that yet.” Grisha frowned and moved towards the door.

“When then?! How long do they have to wait?! If what you’re saying is true then it’s not safe! Why are you putting innocent people in danger?!” 

“Eren, that’s enough!” Carla scolded. “Your father is doing everything he can so for once, behave yourself!” 

“Don’t lie to me. If he was doing everything he could then everyone would be here already! Including Armin!” Just before Eren was about to continue, a doctor and some soldiers came in and motioned silently for Grisha. With a sigh he stepped closer and they spoke among themselves, going over paperwork in whispers. Then, as if the emotions in the room couldn’t get even more tense, Grisha turned to them as the other people left the room and clenched his fist.

“You all stay here and keep this door shut. No matter what you hear, you must stay.” His voice was slightly warbled and it set Eren off even more.

“Why goddammit?! You know what, screw you! I’m going to get Armin!” Eren moved towards the door but was blocked by his father.

“No, Eren! You have to stay here! It’s not safe!” 

“And that’s exactly why I can’t leave him out there!” The sound of Eren’s fist connecting with his father’s face rang throughout the room before he bolted and ran for the exit.

“Eren! Eren Yeager get back here!” Carla ran to Grisha and helped him up. Mikasa followed and was torn between listening to Grisha and chasing Eren. Her instincts were telling her to do both.

“Go after him, Mikasa. Bring him back!” Carla pleaded and without a word, Mikasa ran in Eren’s direction to try and catch him. 

——

Armin sat quietly against the wall in the library on the third floor of the school with a book in his hand. He needed something to distract his mind from everything that was happening but no matter how hard he tried to focus, the warnings and the stories that he had been hearing kept playing in his head like a nightmare. It got to the point where he was even skipping class today since the students did nothing but keep talking about it. 

Each minute that passed had him checking his phone to see if Eren had called him. There were a few times when he tried calling the other but he kept getting either static or a busy tone and that only added to his anxiety. Every fiber of his being wished that time would speed up so that he could go back to the comfort of his home or so that he could be with Eren. Every time they were together, his fears and worries all melted away like snow in early spring. Still though, the minutes ticked by normally but the activity in the school was everything other than normal the longer time went on. 

The librarian and her assistant were talking quietly among themselves about instructions from the principal and from what Armin could hear, their voices were uneasy. He didn’t want to ask though. Instead, he just tried to call Eren again. The phone stayed completely silent and never registered that the call even attempted to go through. With a sigh, he put his phone away in his bag and fidgeted with the pages of his book. 

_‘Attention. All students need to report to their assigned classrooms at this time. The school is being put under an emergency lock down until further notice.’_

The announcement nearly made Armin jump out of his skin by the suddenness of it and he looked around as the other students in the library left for their classrooms. Going back there meant that he would just be more scared than he needed to be and he desperately didn’t want that. In protest, he remained seated where he was on the floor to see how long he could hide before he was caught. However it wasn’t very long as the staff in the library made sure to do a complete sweep of the perimeter. 

“Arlert, you need to go back to your classroom. They need to make sure you’re present.” The woman said kindly while adjusting her glasses.

“I-I know.. But, may I stay here? Please, ma’am... I really don’t want to go back to the classroom.” He asked nicely hoping that they would listen without him having to explain why he didn’t want to go back.

“If it were up to me, you know I would say yes, Armin. I know it’s hard honey but please stay strong. Everything will be okay.” She gave him a reassuring smile and offered her hand to help him stand. 

“Thank you anyway..” Armin nodded, trying not to sound as heartbroken as he was actually feeling before he slowly walked out of the library. He avoided eye contact with every student he passed by as he made his way back towards the stairs to get down to his classroom that was on the first floor. With each step closer he got, the more he began to shake. The students that usually bullied him were in that room and they always prayed on him and his fears which was the whole reason he opted to avoid the classroom entirely. When he was halfway down the stairs, he stopped when he felt the urge to cry approaching and he bowed his head. 

‘N-No... Not now.’ He ordered himself, trying to find any ounce of courage he had. Shaking his head, he ran back up the stairs and to the closest bathroom before any faculty could notice. Luckily there was no one else inside and he stepped towards the sink to wash his face. As he reached for the spigot, the sound of sirens from outside caught his attention and directed his gaze to the small window up in the corner of the room. There were a lot of them from the sound of it. 

‘An accident?’ He thought. Although for that much commotion it had to have been a very bad one, but yet, he didn’t recall hearing a crash. Instead he could hear faint screaming. It started out quiet but escalated into full blown panic. His heart began to race and he cursed the fact that there was no way for him to reach the window to look out. 

_‘Attention. Students and faculty are to remain in their classrooms until further notice. Please lock all doors and do not open them under any circumstance until the lock down has been lifted.’_

Again, the announcement startled him and he swallowed hard. Something was happening and something very bad by the sound of it. He looked at the exit to the bathroom and chills crawled across his skin when the realization that he wouldn’t be let into any classroom hit him. 

But he would be safe here, right?

As reassuring as the thought sounded, he didn’t believe it and he began to regret wishing time would go faster. As minutes went on, the screaming from outside grew in volume until it began to sound eerily close by. Much too close to be just outside of the school. Being blind to the situation was something he knew he couldn’t allow. He needed to think of a strategy just in case danger confronted him. So despite his instincts telling him to stay, he moved to the door and opened it slowly to peek outside as his worst fears were confirmed. 

The screaming was coming from inside the school but it wasn't nearly as much as what was coming from outside. It was also more like orders being given rather than panic. Checking both sides of the hallway, he crept out and headed towards the nearest window to see if he could see any of what was happening outside. The sight from the window made his eyes go wide and all the color leave his face. 

People were running through the streets in numbers so vast that they looked like water cascading over the asphalt. Looking in the direction they were running away from, he squinted and tried to figure out why but couldn’t quite pinpoint it. Only then did the grim realization that they were running from each other strike into him like lightning. 

They were being tackled down and attacked by other people just like the news had said, but they weren’t beating each other up which was contrary to the reports. It reminded Armin of a pack of wild animals hunting, attacking in groups. The more his brilliant mind processed what he was seeing, the more it became clear that what he was witnessing was indeed hunting. Human beings eating each other and the sheer numbers nearly made him sick. He brought his hands up to his mouth to quiet a gasp as he watched helplessly until a bang, from what sounded like the first floor of the school, startled him. 

It sounded like a door slamming shut but before he could even begin to figure it out, his attention was directed back outside the window when the sound of peppered gunfire erupted into the atmosphere. Blue eyes went wide when he noticed that armored officers with riot shields were firing directly into the disorderly crowd. Some people stayed down but Armin’s brows furrowed when he took notice that some were running towards the direction of the fire. Questions of all kinds flooded through his mind in a storm of confusion. 

Another bang echoed through the building and he turned this time when the screaming that followed alerted him that something was now happening inside. Deciding that it was best to leave the window, he walked quietly down the hallway and to the stairs that led down to the second floor and listened. The school security officers were barking orders to someone or something down there and whatever it was sounded like it was growling back at them.

Armin swallowed and began stepping down the stairs until a single gunshot stopped him in his tracks. Afterward it was completely silent for a few seconds before the voices of the security guards became audible once more. He couldn’t tell quite what they were saying but it was certainly about whatever just happened. With the officers down there, Armin felt that it would be his best option to go and ask them for help. He didn’t want to be out in the open any longer given the intensity of what was unfolding both indoors and out. Quickly, he stepped down the stairs until he got to the first floor and checked both sides of the hallway to find the officers. Once he saw them, he smiled and raised a hand.

“E-Excuse me. I was wondering if-“ He was cut off completely when he saw one of them reach for their handgun and noticed a body on the ground. 

“Wait! They don’t talk, remember?” The speaking officer gave the other a firm smack on the arm before turning to Armin.

“Kid, where are you supposed to be right now? Don’t you know that the school is on lock down till further-“ 

The officer was cut off suddenly.

It happened in the blink of an eye. One of the people from outside barreled down the hallway and tackled him down like a wild cat, biting hard into his neck as they tumbled to the floor. The officers scream gurgled out from his throat followed by a rush of blood that leaked out of his mouth and all over the cold tile floor. The other froze in fear with his handgun pointed at the person mauling his partner and the only thing that averted his gaze was the sound of raspy moans from more people staggering in a herd down the hallway. 

"Shit! Kid get out of here!" He yelled as he began firing at them. Armin turned to look at them and his heart began to pound within his chest. Every single one of them had blood stained all around their mouths and wounds all over their body. Some were cuts and scrapes while others were decorated with bullet holes. What caught Armin's attention was that it looked like they all had bite marks. Every single one of them. 

"I said go, kid!" The officer demanded once more to snap Armin out of his daze just as his gun clicked. Already out of ammunition and he hadn't even made a dent in the herd that was coming. 

Armin ran back up the stairs as fast as his legs could carry him while his mind focused on trying to correctly process and confirm what was going on. The sounds of each shot had the school and its students in an uproar that couldn't be contained. Some of the students forced their way out of the classrooms to try and escape to their families but none had any idea of what was waiting for them on the ground floor. When Armin reached the third floor again, people were scattered in the hallways and murmuring to each other. Some were crying and most were trying to call their families. 

"Armin! What's happening? Why were there gunshots?" A frightened girl asked him, tears in her eyes. 

"I-I don't know.. It's people.." He paused, took a deep breath and focused his mind. "There's people attacking other people. I saw it happen downstairs. A man attacked the security guards. It bit him and-" 

He froze and went completely pale as more students and teachers surrounded him. 

"Armin? What's wrong?" Her voice quivered. He looked up at her and his heart sank into his stomach like a stone to the ocean floor. 

"They're coming.." 

"What? Who's coming?!" She screamed and shook his shoulders. 

"Them! The people from downstairs! They've blocked the main exit downstairs! We can't…we can't get out.." 

The thought nauseated him. 

The girl and the other students all began running frantically to look for any escape route they could find. All the yelling and chaos reverberated through the hallways and the fear was so thick in the air that it was suffocating. Armin didn't know what to do. No one did. Then suddenly, a cry ripped from the stairs that Armin had come up from. 

One of the male students tried to run down in an attempt to escape but was only met with the hoard of voracious people from below. They all grabbed him and pulled his body in all directions, biting and tearing the flesh from his bones. Each harrowing scream that he let out only seemed to fire them up more until he was silenced when he passed out from the pain and blood loss. Every other monster that wasn't able to join in the gory feast on the ground turned to the other students, eyeing them up and down before moving towards them. Everyone turned and ran, including Armin, in all directions and splitting the herd. Loud and desperate screams that once filled the area began to quiet as they succumbed to the jaws once by one. 

Then it hit Armin and his eyes went wide.

'The stair well!' His legs propelled him towards it and he thanked the gods that it was open. In a flash, he pulled himself inside and slammed it shut, twisting the lock before something banged against it from outside. Looking up abruptly, his ocean blue eyes met with those of the girl who was screaming at him earlier. Her honey brown orbs were red and puffy, filled with tears and before words had the chance to escape her open mouth they were on her.

Bleeding jaws locked on from all sides as they held her there against the cold steel where Armin had full view from the small window. Her cries didn’t last long once they ripped a chunk from her throat and she went limp, only held up by the monsters. Armin felt a cold sweat while he watched and pleaded with his body to turn away but for some reason, he didn’t. It wasn't until he was met with bloodshot eyes of the girls attackers that he gasped and turned away.

Slowly, he slid down against the door and sat in a fetal position, holding his head and crying softly. Everyone in the school was going to die. He was going to die. 

'I'm stuck here…' He whimpered as the thought cut through his mind. 'E-Eren..' 

And now that he thought about it, tears fell like a waterfall. Where was Eren? Where was Mikasa and all their friends? He didn't even know if they were in class today because he never went by to check. Their classroom was on the first floor where the attack started and that could only mean one thing. 

Armin began to get dizzy. 

Visions of his friends being mercilessly torn apart haunted his mind like a predator and he couldn't make it stop. He tried to focus on something else. Anything else. The racing of his heart and his trembling breaths provided some distraction but he couldn't stop crying. He sat up with one arm across his face and slammed the other against the floor. 

The sound nor feeling wasn't what he was expecting. Instead of the smack of his palm against the hard ground, it was a wet sound. Almost like the sound of stepping in a puddle with bare feet after a rain storm. 

"Wh-What?" He looked down slowly and squinted to see what it was exactly that he'd touched. The blood from the attack outside had seeped underneath the door frame and was still coming through. Armin let out a fearful sound when he looked at his hand and jumped up to move away from the pooling red liquid. 

Fear stricken, he stepped back and lost his footing to the first step. He had to have fallen at least ten feet down the first flight of stairs before his head connected with the concrete wall and everything went dark. 

__

Eren followed the way that he remembered once he and Mikasa got out of the stadium and were back on the streets. He hadn't stopped at all for a breath until he was sure he was far enough away to not be caught. 

"Damn it all!" He growled, punching the wall of the ally he chose to rest for a moment. 

"Eren.. You need to calm down." Mikasa stepped up beside him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Where the fuck does he get off?! How could he put our lives ahead of everyone else?!" 

Mikasa gripped his shoulder.

"Look Eren, I understand why he did it." She said sternly.

"What? What do you mean? You agree with that bastard?!" Eren was quickly silenced by a quick slap to his face.

"I understand why he did it but that doesn't mean that I agree with it!" She explained. "Now, calm down and focus so that we can find Armin." 

Eren looked at her as he rubbed his cheek and sighed softly. 

"O-Okay." 

The two continued briskly back towards the direction of the school. Luckily for them, they knew the area pretty well and were able to use different short cuts to lessen the time it took to get back. Although, it was still a lengthy trip. Their journey soon came to a halt when multiple road blockades guarded by police forced them to find alternate routes. One after one turned them away without any explanation as to why and Eren quickly got frustrated again.

"What the hell is going on?! Why can't we get by anywhere? We're gonna end up too far away if we keep this up." 

"There had to have been an accident. Don't you hear the sirens?" Mikasa explained. "Let's just keep going until we find a way around." 

This time, they turned towards the direction of their house as it was the only one available and pressed forward from there. Mikasa stopped suddenly and looked around. 

"Hey, what's the hold up?" Eren turned and asked her with a raised brow. She remained silent and continued observing, bringing a hand up to her head. 

"Mikasa, come on. If the sirens are bothering you, let's go." Eren frowned. She then looked straight at him and he noticed the unnerving look she had. Just after, popping sounds resonated, bouncing across buildings from all directions. Eren stepped back and looked up at the sky. Nothing out of the ordinary there.

"What is that?" His curiosity was quickly shut down when Mikasa ran towards him and grabbed him by the wrist, pulling him as she ran towards their home. 

"H-Hey! Mikasa what the hell?! What's gotten into you?!" She was running fast. Something she didn't do very often and her silence raised more questions. 

"Mikasa!" 

She only tightened her grip and continued forward until they reached their home before letting him go. She hastily reached for her key and opened the door, pulling Eren inside and locking it behind them both.

"Okay, now will you tell me what's going on?" Eren sighed. 

"Those were gunshots Eren." She frowned. "It's not safe outside." Eren shot her a look and his brows knit together.

"What about Armin? That's why we came back here! Not so you could trap us in here! What if Armin is in trouble?!" 

"We have to prepare first. Something bad is happening. I can-" She trailed off and lightly touched her head. "I can feel it. We need to get ready for the worst, find Armin, and get back to your family." 

"O-Okay, so what do we need?" Eren followed Mikasa through their home and to her room where she kneeled down and reached under her bed. She pulled out a small black box that was a little longer than arms length and it was lined with what looked like fine gold. After unclipping the clasps, she opened it slowly. 

Inside was a beautiful blade sitting upon crimson velvet that hugged it's features like a corset. It was shorter than a katana, but longer than a dagger which made it perfectly lightweight for Mikasa. And she was lethal with it. Some days after school she would attend martial arts and self defense classes. Eren never understood why she went to such lengths but it gave her quite the reputation. 

She placed it in a leather sheath and put it on the bed. 

"You should find something to fight with." She suggested, moving towards her closet. Eren was confused but listened to her and went about his way. He didn't have any kind of weapon training like Mikasa did. The only training he ever got was hands on when he would get into fights with other people at school. He learned hand to hand combat from them and taught himself but was still not the greatest. 

Scratching his head, he went into their garage and looked around for anything he could think of that was similar to Mikasa's machete. His emerald green eyes finally met with something he figured would be most useful; a crowbar. Lifting it, he took it in both hands and pretended to swing it around to get a feel for it. Afterward, he shrugged and went back to meet with Mikasa.

"Is this fine?" While he waited for her approval, he noticed that she had changed from her school outfit. She was now wearing a plain t-shirt and some jeans with her black leather combat boots.

"Yes, that's good." She nodded and affixed the blade to her lower back with the straps that tied to her belt.

"Mikasa, what exactly are you preparing for? This seems a little much." Eren was still so confused. She gave him a serious look and sighed softly.

"Remember that stuff that Connie was talking about? The stories?" She began. "We just have to be ready. That's what my gut is telling me. We will find Armin, but we have to do it carefully and you have to follow my lead, okay? Or else, I'll tie you up and leave you here while I go find him myself." 

"Alright, I will. I just don't see why you're so worried." Eren nodded and spoke in a trusting tone. 

It was very rare that Mikasa ever acted like this and he knew better than to test it. She always followed her instincts and had a way with knowing exactly what to do all the time in any given situation. This was one of the things that Eren admired about her. An exception being when her instincts told either her or him to run from a fight. 

She led him out of their home and locked it up once more before they went out. The feeling had changed so drastically from before that even Eren could feel it now. They could hear screaming but it sounded far away.

"Follow me, Eren. And stay quiet." Mikasa started towards the direction they usually took to school but changed the route to avoid the main roads. It took a little longer this way but she preferred safety over speed. Surprisingly, Eren did as he was told and followed without question. Occasionally, a sound would make him turn and look around but he kept a steady pace. 

The closer they got to the school, the less screaming they heard which was a good sign. At least that's what they thought. A haze lingered above them as they peered around a corner about a block from the school. Eren moved out a little bit more to get a better look but Mikasa pushed him back behind her.

"Wait… Don't you see?" She whispered, pointing towards the ground. She allowed some room for Eren to observe and get a better look. 

Through the smoke, he could see that there were multiple cars that had crashed into each other and others that had driven off the roads. There were also bodies littered all over the streets like leaves in fall. None of them were moving except a few that could be seen further past them walking aimlessly about. 

"What the hell happened here?" Eren felt his heart rate begin to quicken. 

"There's no medical staff or police anywhere." Mikasa sighed as she scanned the area. She focused particularly on a heap of what they assumed were corpses.

"Someone had to have called for help. Why isn't there anyone here?" Eren thought back. Even though they took the back roads to get here, he didn't remember seeing any traffic which was unusual. Just before he was about to bring up that fact, movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. 

"H-Hey, Mikasa. That person is alive! We have to help them!" Without thinking, Eren rushed past her and to the body on the ground only to go stiff when he saw the state of it. The person was soaked in blood, mostly on their lower side and they were pale white.

"Hey! Hold on, we're gonna help you! What happened here?" Eren got to his knees and pressed against the wound to try and stop the bleeding. The person winced and coughed raggedly. Mikasa stepped up behind them both and gasped softly. 

"Mikasa! We have to do something. Maybe there are others that are alive." Eren looked at her with pleading eyes. "Maybe no one called cause the phones aren't working." They were cut off by more ragged coughing and harsh breaths from the person as they placed their hand on Eren's. 

"…n-n..need to…le-leave…" Their voice was in a whisper and they both had to lean close to hear. 

"…d-don't….bit.." The sentence trailed off like a fire going out and their eyes finally closed. Eren panicked and leaned close to listen for a breath. 

"W-Wait.. Wait!" He whimpered and frantically began chest compressions in a desperate attempt to bring them back. Mikasa closed her eyes and held his shoulder.

"Eren, stop.. They've bled out. There's nothing you can do." She sighed sadly, her eyes then fixed on the pool of blood surrounding them. Eren didn't even notice it was there and he balled his hands into fists with his head bowed. Mikasa kept her composure the best she could and slowly lifted the persons shirt to look at the wound. 

It was circular, like the skin had just been scooped out of them but rough around the edges. 

"What kind of wound is that?" She studied it, and frowned before Eren pointed.

"Mikasa look." Slowly, he reached forward in the direction he was pointing and took something between his fingers. Whatever it was, it was firm but snagged on the skin. With a little more force, Eren managed to tug it off and he held it in his palm for them to see. It was red from all the blood that coated it but as Eren rolled it around with his thumb, the true color became visible. It was a pale white. 

"Mikasa what is that?" He asked before she picked it up and flipped it right ways up, realizing right away what it was.

"It's..a human tooth."

__

The stair well had gone quiet, only the natural hum of the electrical system within the school could be heard inside. There was not much light either since the tower only had three windows but it was just enough to illuminate the stony features. Slowly, blue eyes fluttered open to blurred images and brows knit together from the pain that took over Armin's entire body. His contorted form lay sprawled on the small leveled platform that separated the two flights of stairs. To bring some form of clarity to his vision, he blinked a few more times. 

Dare he try to move? 

Just laying there regaining consciousness hurt so much and his head was pounding but he knew he had to at least try. Gathering up the strength he had, he barely moved an inch and let out a whimper. His joints were all stiffened and muscles weak. How long was he out? A couple of hours at least? For his body to be feeling the way it was, it had to have been for a while. 

Taking a slow breath in preparation, he grit his teeth together and forced himself into a sitting position and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes and panting from the strain. When he had collected himself a little more, he looked down at his stained hand and recalled how he ended up in this state. 

'Ah, yes. The monsters outside.' 

The thought poked at him and brought him back to the reality that he could very well still be trapped in here and that everyone he ever knew or cared about was dead. He reached into his bag for his phone and checked it. The signal was dead and the time was already late in the afternoon. He had been there for a while. 

In spite of the pain he was in, he forced himself to his feet and with shaking legs, walked back up to the door to investigate. The light coming through made him squint and his head hurt even more. After giving himself a moment to adjust, he peeked through again. It was quiet and nothing could be seen except for bloodstained tiles and lockers. It was difficult to see from side to side because of the window but he did catch movement and he backed up some.

The girl from before limped by, her hair a tangled mess and her shirt hanging slightly off of her shoulder that was drenched red. Armin watched her and confusion arose. He saw her die. There was no way she could've lived what happened to her, yet there she was, standing and moving around.

But there was something off about her. 

Her gaze was set straight forward, unblinking and she would tilt her head occasionally upward. Her arms dangled limply beside her and her legs dragged against the floor as she walked. There was the occasional twitching of her body that was unnatural as well. 

Trying to get a better look, Armin stepped forward and jumped slightly when his shoe hit the door accidentally. The sound made the girl jerk her head towards the direction of the sound and she looked at the glass window. Armin watched her and stayed incredibly still. Her mouth opened and closed slowly, snapping shut every now and again. 

Piece by piece came together in his mind like a puzzle. Everything he had witnessed had its spot and he worked on putting them in a sequence that made sense even though none of this did. These people, the wild ones, were biting and changing the others. Somehow, they were changing them into cannibals. But how? 

Armin backed away from the window and walked back down the stairs away from view. He needed to find a way out knowing that if he stayed here, he would surely die from starvation or thirst. There had to be a way out. As he made his way further down the last flight of stairs to the first floor, he could feel his heart beating quicker out of fear. 

'Calm down. Calm down..' He told himself quietly as he stepped towards the door. The only thing separating him from the threats outside. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in, followed by another and then once more until he felt ready. 

Looking outside of the window on the door, he made sure to check his surroundings first. Despite the attack starting from here, there wasn't much left except the evidence that it had happened. Before he opened the door, he stepped back and thought once more. What would he do if he did get seen? How would he get away?

Not all of them seemed very fast. Only a few looked like they could actually sprint. Armin figured he could out run them but on the off chance that he couldn't, then what? He needed something to defend himself with. He looked around the bottom of the stairwell and didn't see anything. He had nothing on him he could use. 

Then it hit him. 

The supply room was right outside. The janitors kept all their tools in there along with their cleaning supplies. There was definitely something in there that he could use, but he had to get out there safely. 

Again, he walked back to the door but with the intent to open it this time. As he reached for the knob, he swallowed and turned it slowly to made sure it didn't make too much noise. Luckily for him, it opened quite easily and he stepped outside. It was so quiet that you could hear a pen drop and it would surely echo throughout the lifeless silence. 

Armin stood there and felt sadness come over him again when he looked in the direction of the classroom that he shared with Eren and Mikasa every morning. All the doors were open and there wasn't a single person, wild or not, in sight. This made his heart sink. Were they really gone? Just like that? They couldn't be.

Shaking his head and focusing on the task at hand, he walked towards the supply closet and reached for the handle to open it. The silver handle didn't budge. Armin tried turning it again and nothing happened. The room was locked and Armin sighed when he knew what he had to do now. His only option was to find a janitor or go outside without anything to defend himself with. All the janitorial staff in the school had copies of the keys but finding one while danger lurked presented a new challenge. 

After picking a direction and sticking to it, Armin headed down the hallway while making sure to keep his senses heightened. He stepped around the puddles of blood scattered about all over the floor like a painting while the situation continued to make sense in his head. All this blood and no bodies made his theory correct.

Bites changed you and then you turn to change others. This wasn't just an insatiable hunger. It was something else. Something much more complex that he hadn’t figured out yet.

Turning another corner, he froze and stifled a gasp as he felt his legs begin to shake. Down the hallway there was a body this time, lying lifeless in the middle of the floor. It was covered in blood and surrounded by it but Armin could tell that it definitely was a janitor and attached to his waist was the gleaming hope of the key ring that Armin was searching for. 

The hopeful feeling was smothered by the dread of having to go and retrieve it. Every other person that he had seen be attacked had changed. Armin began to wonder that maybe if the person is killed, they wouldn't change but that didn't explain the girl from earlier. Why did she change and why was this man just lying there? Unless the attack didn't kill her but there was absolutely no way it didn't. He saw the wound on her neck. No one could survive that without medical care. 

Regardless, he needed those keys and stepped towards the limp form while remaining ready to run at any moment. As he approached, the wounds all over the man caught his eye. He was covered in both scratch and bite marks on his arms. Parts of his face had been chewed off to the point where one couldn't even tell that it was a face in the first place. Armin knew who this man was though just by his build and hair color even though the blond locks were dyed crimson.

"Hannes..." 

He'd known him ever since he started school here and it broke his heart to see him like this knowing that he wouldn't come back. Blinking back the tears, Armin kneeled down and reached for the keys, unclipping them from the key ring. He held them close to his chest and sniffled softly before beginning to stand. 

A sudden sound from behind caught his attention and he turned towards it while kneeling on one knee still. He needed to go back in that direction. As he tried to stand again he felt resistance and heard a drawn out, raspy breath. When he turned, he gasped and fell backwards. 

Hannes began moving slowly and had a vice grip on Armin's bag. He turned his half-eaten face towards Armin and let out a weak growl, snapping his teeth and pulling himself closer. Armin felt tears falling as he struggled to escape before he threw the strap of his bag over his head and stumbled to his feet. Without looking back, he ran down the hallway and back to where he needed to go while holding the keys so they wouldn't jingle too loudly.

When he got to the door, he fidgeted through them with trembling hands as tears continued to fall from his eyes. He tried and failed a few of them until one fit perfectly and opened the door. Throwing himself inside, he fell to the floor and scrambled to close the door behind him and only then did he relax a little bit. 

He kneeled in front of the door with his forehead pressed against it and his hands slid down the hardwood. The longer he stayed, the slower his breathing became and he tried his best to calm himself down. The sadness and stress was so heavy on him, like a giant shadow was pressing him against the ground and his will to fight it was becoming so weak. He kept telling himself that he needed to get out and get help. He could cry about it later but the tears wouldn't stop.

He paused for a moment before looking around at the many objects in the room that were dimly lit by the single light bulb that dangled from the ceiling. It smelled of cardboard and cleaning chemicals which he found more comforting than the light scent of gun powder and iron that lingered outside. Nothing much in here looked to be of use to him. The broom was too big and the dust pan was much too flimsy. Rolls of paper towels were simply out of the question.

Then the toolbox caught his sight. It was filled with typical tools that were used to maintain things all throughout the school but to Armin's dismay, most of them were very small. Screw drivers, a hammer, and a bunch of nails. None of this could really be of use to him except for maybe the screwdriver but he didn't want something so close range. With an defeated sigh, he tucked the box beside the shelf where he found it and heard something fall. He scooted closer and relief washed over him when he saw what it was.

A large wrench was hidden behind it, covered in spider webs from lack of use but perfect for what Armin needed. He took it in his hands and brushed the webs off of it, getting a feel for the weight and thinking about just how he would use it. 

Armin was never a violent person. He fought with words and his mind instead. Even though that led to him being taken advantage of most of the time, he was still proud of the fact that he never hurt anyone. When he was beat up though, Eren and Mikasa would always come and rescue him. Mikasa would dust him off and Eren would fight back against whoever hurt him even though he sometimes got hurt in the process. They were so selfless when it came to him and he sometimes wondered why they acted so, but it had been that way since they were kids. 

Then there was Eren. 

Armin would never forget the day that Eren confessed that he loved him. His grip on the wrench weakened some and he rested it on the ground while he laughed softly with tears falling. Eren was such a nervous fool. Honestly, Armin was sure that he caught the feelings first even though Eren denied it. It was just like Eren to be the one to make things official. He asked him one night when they were out in the country side watching a meteor shower that Armin had been looking forward to. 

Unsure whether or not he was alive was consuming him. He wanted to have hope but after everything he had seen, he didn’t know what to think. Even saving himself seemed bleak for what outcome was there really if everyone was gone? 

Still, he had to know. There had to be something and with that, he gripped the wrench with conviction and stood up. His body was still bruised and in pain from his fall, but he was determined to at least try. He turned to the door again and opened it to step out. 

There was still nothing much in sight and that helped press him forward towards the entrance of the school. As he approached the doors, he looked outside and saw the aftermath of the chaos before. It frightened him, but there were no signs of living people or the wild ones anywhere. There were many bodies on the ground though and that worried him. What if they were all just like Hannes? Waiting to get him when he stepped by them. 

Even though he hesitated, he opened the door and stepped outside while holding onto it so it wouldn't slam shut. Everything in the immediate vicinity seemed so detached from the rest of the city. Like it had been infected and died off. There were crashed vehicles, but no one in them. The police that he had seen earlier were nowhere in sight either. Not a single sound echoed from anywhere.

He stepped closer to the scene to try and make his way back home but also study it. As he walked he noticed something in common that all of the bodies had. All of them had gunshot wounds to the head along with bite marks. There were men, women and children alike. The fact that there was no one here made his mind wander. He had been unconscious for hours and no one came to aid or clean up the area. The blood on the streets and corpses was already drying up. Everything was left like it had been hours ago. 

No one was coming. To Armin, this meant that it had spread beyond help. Fear began to build inside of him once more and he hurried into the direction of his house while remaining on high guard. The further he ran, the more he realized just how much had been devastated already. It turned into a ghost town in the matter of a few hours with no explanation other than what he had seen. 

His heart raced within his chest while he ran as he took each block and corner closer to home until one stopped him. Eren and Mikasa's home was not far from here. A ray of hope struck him thinking they would be there waiting for him and he ran quickly in that direction. Rounding one of the last corners, the small smile he wore was ripped away when he saw four of the wild people feasting on someone on the ground. 

One of them looked up at the sound of his steps and growled at him with flesh gripped in it's bloodied hands. The others rose quickly as well and without even thinking, Armin ran back the way he came as fast as he could to try and lose them. He couldn't fight them. Not four of them. He had to get away. Going back to the school wasn't an option so he went on going whichever way his body took him until he ran into more of them. 

A larger herd that was slowly entering a house from one of the broken windows. Being as quiet as he could, he turned again and ran in another different direction, feeling the area becoming less and less familiar with each step.

He was getting lost.

__

Eren and Mikasa looked at each other in confusion before standing. 

"So you think that people are doing this? They're attacking and eating each other just like Connie and Ymir said?" Eren questioned. 

"What other explanation do you have? Either way, if it's this bad here, then maybe the school is in worse shape. Maybe they let the students go home and that's where Armin is. We should go back and check there." Mikasa sighed and started back in that direction.

"Are you sure? It's only a little bit further. What if he's trapped? It doesn't feel right to not check.." Eren stayed put and looked at Mikasa with pleading eyes. 

"Please… If it's.." He sighed. "If it's too dangerous…w-we'll come back." Eren's voice trembled at the second statement. Mikasa stepped closer to Eren and hugged him. 

"He's okay. We just have to find him." Her tone soothed him because of how sincere it sounded, but he wondered if he could really believe her.

"Let's go." She led him towards the direction of the school without another word. 

There was so much destruction when the two approached the building and stepped over the bodies that littered the front. It was desolate and quiet with no signs of life anywhere. Eren stared up at the school as a cold sweat ran through him.

"Th-There's nothing…" He closed his eyes and shook his head before running towards the doors. Swinging them open, he ran a small way into the hallway. 

"Armin!" He called out with desperation. 

"Eren stop. We have to stay quiet." Mikasa warned him. 

Both of them took note of the body in the distance and the blood surrounding it. The classroom doors were open but the rooms themselves empty.

"There's no one here, Eren.." She said sadly as her own memories of the place and everyone in it hovered in her mind. "We have to go." 

Eren turned to her and she could see tears forming along his eyelids. 

"Mikasa…where is he?" There was so much sadness in Eren's voice that Mikasa had to do her best to remain composed.

"He's got to be somewhere, Eren. Armin is smart. If they let everyone out, he went home where it's safe." As relaxed as she sounded, the sight of the school had her worried. A sudden sound made her step in front of Eren and she watched the hallways like an animal hunting, silent and alert. Eren readied his crowbar and looked in the same direction for whatever started her.

They watched as a group of people came sulking around the corner, slow and clumsy in their gait. Mikasa turned to Eren and brought a finger to her lips to motion for him to keep quiet. Eren nodded and watched the sight before them. The only thing they noticed was how bloodied up they were. Each one with a considerable amount around their mouths. 

"D-Do you think-?" Eren began before a small breath behind made him turn and he pushed Mikasa out of the way while swinging the crowbar. Of course, none of this was done in silence. 

The hard steel collided with a woman and sent her to the ground. Mikasa jumped to her feet and took a stance beside Eren as the woman growled and struggled to her feet. Her hands were bloody along with her clothing and as she stood, they could see that her mouth was as well. 

Eren struck her again and she fell back to the tile, twitching and forcing her body back up. 

"We have to go. Now!" Mikasa pulled Eren's arm and looked back at the group who's attention was now on them. A couple of them were quickly rushing towards the two but the others were slowly trailing behind.

Eren and Mikasa quickly outran them and hurried back the way they came. 

"What the hell was that?!" Eren cried out in both shock and confusion. 

"I don't know! Just keep running!" Mikasa continued beside him until they got closer to the street their house was on. Both paled when they saw that there were a few more people that had now made their way to the area and a few of them were blocking their house. 

"We can’t stay here. We have to find somewhere else to hide." Mikasa took Eren's arm and led him a different direction and further along. It led them to a district with a power plant a little ways away from their home but there were no people here. Or at least, none that they could see. There was a chain link fence surrounding the inner buildings that was padlocked but there was one other that was on the outside. 

They both ran for it but were caught by surprise when they entered the clearing where there were a few more of the ravenous people. 

"Shit! Mikasa what now?!" Eren brought up the crowbar again and stood back to back with Mikasa. 

"Kill them." She pulled her machete from it's sheath and readied herself.

"Wait what?!"

"I said kill them!" 

And with that she ran towards the ones on her end and sliced at them, cutting deep gashes on their chests and stomachs while severing muscles to leave the limbs useless. Eren focused on the two that were on his end and kicked one back before jamming the crowbar into the head of the other. They both fell back and Eren moved to strike the other in the head seeing as it downed the other one pretty well. 

It didn't stay down however and struggled to get back up. His heart skipped and he gathered himself before striking again and again until it finally stopped moving and he could focus on the other one. The last hit of his crowbar jammed itself in the skull and was stuck when he tried to pull it back out for the attack.

"Dammit! Mikasa!" He yelled as he let go of the weapon and stumbled away, falling onto the dirt. The creature growled and lunged at him with arms out before Mikasa slashed at it, severing the head completely from the body that fell before Eren. With a couple of thuds, the head rolled across the ground and stopped but the jaws were still clamping shut. 

"Are you okay?" She helped Eren up and checked him over.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine but…" He didn't even finish the question seeing as there was no way he was going to get an answer for it and went to retrieve his crowbar. He forced it out and followed Mikasa who was at the door to the building. 

She opened it and checked inside for anyone or anything and when it was clear, she called for Eren. They both entered and looked around while catching their breaths. It seemed sturdy enough to keep them safe until they found Armin. There was only two windows and the door was made of heavy steel with a small sliding mechanism to look out of. A single flight of stairs with railing led up to a small second level. It was the type of building that security guards would use to make sure anyone who wasn't authorized didn’t get too close to the plant beyond it.

Mikasa set her blade on the desk and used a rag she found nearby to wipe the blood off of it. Eren watched her after taking a look at his own weapon that had just took the lives of people. 

"Mikasa.." He began.

"I know what you're going to say, Eren. I don't like this any more than you do." She sighed.

"But how did you know? That…That killing them is the only option?"

"Because they're trying to kill you. It's that simple." She approached him and gave him a stern look. "Human beings or not, if your life is in danger, you fight for it. Even if it means killing someone else. Besides…didn't you look into their eyes? They aren't people anymore." 

Eren nodded sadly and let out a sigh. 

"So what do we do now? There's no telling how many of them there are out there or which way they're moving. Hell, we don't even know what they're after but if they keep going in the direction of our house then they'll get to Armin's house too. What do we do then? If he's even there?" 

"I'll go scout ahead and see what I can see. You have to stay here though." Sheathing the blade again, she adjusted the ties and stepped towards the door.

"W-Wait why? I can help you. You don't need to go alone." 

"I don't want to risk you losing your weapon. You already almost lost it once, so I need to find you something better. Something sharper. And I don't want you getting hurt." 

"Mikasa…"

"I won't go very far." 

Without another word, she stepped out and ran towards the buildings once more. Eren closed the door and moved to sit down on one of the chairs nearby to think about everything. Was this the sickness his father was talking about? How were they going to help these people? The whole situation seemed to unreal for him. He let out a silent yawn and leaned back, closing his eyes.

After a while, he was startled awake and stretched before moving towards the door. There hadn't been any knocking so he knew Mikasa wasn't back yet and that worried him. Still, he stepped outside of the door just to check. It had been some time judging from the colors that seeped across the sky, mixing with smoke from the scattered fires. 

Eren didn’t recall seeing any fires when they got here earlier. Maybe things had somehow gotten worse. Just before he went to head back inside, he heard a scream and turned quickly in it's direction. 

'W-Wait..' He listened closer and heard more, realizing exactly who he was hearing and it sent him in a frantic sprint towards it. It was Armin, he knew it had to be. 

With each step closer he got, worry cut through him like a knife from the agonizing screams of his friend. What if he was too late? No, he wasn't. He was going to find Armin and he was going to be just fine. He promised he would protect him. It was getting closer and closer but Eren's path was cut off suddenly by one of the sick people. 

He turned to the door beside him and jerked it open, closing it behind him to hide from it before running across the building and to the door on the other side. Armin's screams were so close now. Eren left through the door and hid carefully in the ally ways, listening and waiting. When he heard footsteps, he turned towards the direction they were coming from. 

Armin flew by him so fast that Eren almost missed him, but he wrapped his arms around him and put one over his mouth to quiet him as he pulled him back into the building he was hiding in. 

As overjoyed as he was, when he saw the state that Armin was in, he was swallowed up by guilt and regret.


	3. Fearful Whispers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 is here at last! This one directly follows the prologue. It was a tough one because it's filled with angst and such but I tried to couple all that horrible stuff with some soft moments. Chapter 4 is also currently in the works so I should have that ready soon. 
> 
> Again, feedback and criticism is always appreciated! Also, please excuse any errors I might have forgotten. I can only read this so many times before it all looks the same.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy~

Eren cradled Armin in his loving hold and both of them let the relief and comfort of being together again wash away the fears and pain that were eating at them, covering them like a warm veil that was almost healing. After everything that happened so far, they had found each other alive. Armin clung to Eren to make sure that this wasn't some cruel dream and that Eren was actually there, breathing in front of him. 

"I thought you were dead.." Armin whimpered, balling a bit of Eren's shirt weakly into his fist. The thought of that forced more tears and they slowly crept down his cheeks. 

"Don't say that. I'm right here with you. Remember, I told you that I would never leave your side?" Eren spoke calmly, in a loving tone before lifting Armin's face gently to face his own. Armin's sapphire eyes were surrounded by the red exhaustion from crying so much and were filled with fatigue, but Eren could see a small flicker dwelling within them. 

"I know..but.." Eren cut him off by shaking his head and smiling. He cupped Armin's face with one hand and kissed him, feeling the other melt into it right away. Armin brought one of his hands up and placed it on top of Eren's, letting out a small whimper when Eren parted from him. 

"You see? I'm right here." Eren held Armin's hand after it joined his and gave it a loving squeeze. Armin nodded and looked around the room.

"Eren? Where is Mikasa? Is she okay?" Armin needed to know before he relaxed completely. Eren gasped softly and looked towards the door. 

"Oh shit. Mikasa. She told me to stay put." He looked at Armin. "We were staying in another building not far from here until we found you, but she went looking for supplies. Armin, can you stand?" 

Any tenseness that Armin still had lingering in his muscles left him immediately when found out that Mikasa was okay too. Both of his best friends were safe. The realization of these facts relaxed him and made his body heavy, but he forced himself to stand with Eren.

"Y-Yes.." His legs trembled under his weight and he winced slightly.

"Armin, are you sure? I can carry you." Eren held Armin's shoulders to steady him and Armin put his hand on Eren's.

"It's okay. You said it wasn't far." Armin gave him a smile and Eren led him towards the exit. 

They stepped out quietly, looking in both directions cautiously until they were sure it was clear. The people that were there earlier seemed to have moved off in another direction. Still, Armin kept his wrench held tightly. He followed Eren and held the others hand for comfort as they came to the clearing and Eren smiled.

"See? That's the place." He took Armin into a brisk jog and opened the door. Armin looked around, catching the calming sight of setting sunlight through the window and let out a content sigh before letting his wrench fall against the floor followed by himself. 

"Armin!" Eren rushed towards him and caught him, easing him to the ground. "H-Hey what's wrong?"

"I'm just tired.. I need to rest." Armin said in a breathy tone. Everything that had kept him going up until this point was purely adrenaline and having it spike up and down only tired him out more along with all the sleepless nights leading up to this point. 

"Hold on." Eren left his side for a moment and looked around the room, taking the cushion from one of the chairs. After that, he zipped upstairs and searched the area. There was a large, thick leather jacket that would keep anyone warm in the winter time. He brought it downstairs so that Armin could lay on top of it.

"Here. Lay down on this." Armin smiled warmly at him and gladly did as Eren instructed right away. His body thanked him as soon as his head hit the cushion and he relaxed right away, closing his stinging eyes for a moment. Eren was about to sit beside him before some knocking at the door alerted him. Armin opened his eyes and watched as Eren checked the sliding mechanism before opening it. 

Mikasa stepped in with a bag over her shoulder and her machete in her other hand, blood dripping from it once more but otherwise, she looked perfectly fine. At the sight of Armin, she dropped both the bag and her machete and ran towards him.

"Armin?" Her voice quivered with joy and she ran beside him, kneeling and hugging him close when he sat up to greet her. 

"My god you're okay, right?" She asked him, taking notice of the state he was in. 

"Yes, I'm fine but more importantly you all are okay too. I was so worried about you." Armin smiled, sitting back and swaying a bit from dizziness. 

"Hey, take it easy. You've been through enough." Eren said calmly, holding Armin so he wouldn't fall over. Mikasa sat on her knees and motioned for Armin, letting him lay against her thigh as Eren set the other cushion down underneath his shoulder for support. 

The sun was now completely gone underneath the reign of the darkening sky. It was a clear night and the moon sat high, its tender light pouring into the room through the windows in a blanket of cool tones. Finally, they all had some time to relax to talk things over.

"What did you find, Mikasa?" Eren asked curiously. 

"Not much. All the homes nearby are empty. It appears people took what they could and vanished so I just brought back a wooden bat. That's about it. Nothing else seemed useful." Both her and Eren sighed before turning to Armin.

"What happened to you, Armin? We didn't see you this morning before school." Mikasa asked him, stroking her fingers through his hair gently. Armin felt guilt creeping up on him and he fidgeted nervously. 

"I…I went to school early.." He paused, looking at his hands and scratching at the dried blood on his palm with his blunt nails. "Everything going on was bothering me so much that I didn't want to hear about it anymore. So, I went to the library to hide and that's when…" His voice trailed off.

Reliving everything that happened was like prodding at a sleeping beast, willingly forcing it to attack even though you did not wish it. Mikasa could feel him trembling and continued to softly pet him. 

"If you can't, it's okay." Her voice carried in almost a whisper. In protest, Armin breathed to calm himself. He saw everything and knew the information he had could be useful to them. 

"The attack started just outside of school I think. I was in the library and a lock down was put into effect a while after I got there so I couldn't stay." 

"Wait…you were in the school when it happened?" Eren asked fearfully, wondering what that must have been like for him in the epicenter of everything while recalling the state of the school.

"I was afraid to go back to the classroom because of everyone talking about it so I hid in the restroom. From there, I heard the sirens and went into the hallway to see what I could see. It unfolded so fast. People were being shot… The wild ones got into the school so I hid in the stair well on the third floor." 

Armin sat up carefully and looked at them both. The fear in his eyes painted the picture of what they saw so clearly, but he still had to explain it. In that moment, he wished he could simply put Eren and Mikasa into his head to show them.

"These people… They attack but I'm not sure for what exact purpose. Whatever this is, it's spread through bites. You get bit, you change, and you bite others." Armin explained. "But I feel like it's more complicated than that." 

"Could that be it? The sickness your father was talking about?" Mikasa asked Eren, who was thinking the same thing himself. 

"Wait, what sickness? You saw your father?" Armin raised a brow. 

"Yeah, we were on our way to school this morning when mom said he called. She picked us up and took us to the stadium where he was at but it was weird. There were military and doctors everywhere, but he said that there was a sickness going around." Eren explained.

Armin brought a hand up to his mouth in thought. Now that he was getting more information, the things that he experienced were making much more sense.

"The fact that he was able to call you during this means that he had to have been using a military line. My phone wasn't working at all." 

"Neither was mine." 

"What do you think this means, Armin?" Mikasa questioned, knowing that he was smart enough to provide some intellect. 

"When I left the school, there were still corpses outside. So no one is doing anything about this. All this can mean is that this is an uncontrolled epidemic. Also, I may be going out on a limb here but…the sickness that these people have? I think it brings them back from the dead." 

The shock of the statement flowed through Eren and Mikasa like a cold, winter breeze.

"Armin, that's insane. Plus, we all saw bodies." Eren's gaze went between Mikasa and Armin. "Mikasa, we saw that man from earlier die." 

Mikasa nodded in agreement with Eren but frowned in confusion. Something had to have made Armin believe that. 

"Did you see it happen?" Mikasa asked and a chill went through all of them when Armin nodded.

"It happened when I was in the stair well hiding. A girl was attacked right in front of me by those sick people and she changed. Her injuries killed her though." 

"How can you be so sure?" She pressed him.

"They tore her throat out, Mikasa. She bled out in minutes." Armin sighed and looked down at his hand. "There was so much blood that it came underneath the door." He showed his palm to them and clutched it.

"I panicked and fell down the stairs. Then I blacked out for a while but when I woke up, I went to check if the hallways were clear and she was walking around again. I wouldn't say that she was lucid by any means, but she was alive." 

Armin's story confused Eren and Mikasa but it partially made sense with what they had seen as well. Every one of the bodies they had seen, both dead and alive, had bite marks or a wound of some kind. 

"But wait, Armin. We saw so many that weren't alive though and they still had bites. Are you absolutely sure?" Eren's thoughts kept trying to find a contradiction.

"There was another…" Armin's expression turned sad. "I didn't see him die…but.." Tears built and slowly fell when Armin blinked.

"Mr. Hannes… He was turned.." Armin sniffled as the wave of sadness hit Eren and Mikasa. "I thought he was dead, so I went to get the keys for the supply room off of him. He tried to attack me, but Eren…his face." 

Armin couldn't continue and bowed his head, wiping his eyes. Eren came closer to comfort him.

"No one could live through that." 

Hannes had known them all since they started school and always made sure to keep them out of trouble. Eren would always butt heads with him but he was always there to clean him up after fights. Hell, Hannes did a better job than the campus nurse. Mikasa was always proud to show him her martial arts and even teach him some moves whenever he asked even though he was honestly terrible at it. The three did their fair share to help him out too with whatever he needed on campus and just like that, from one day to the next, he was gone.

"We need to get this information to your parents, Eren. To Armin's grandfather as well so he can get to safety." Mikasa looked outside of the window and thought about a route they could take to get to Armin's home that was furthest from harms way.

"But Armin's hurt, he needs to rest for now." Eren stood in protest.

"Eren, I'll be fine. If leaving now means we can help grandpa and your parents, then we need to go." Forcing himself to not seem as weakened as he felt, Armin stood up and held his breath, biting back a groan. 

Mikasa went to the bag she had brought and dug through it, pulling out the wooden baseball bat that she had mentioned earlier. It was made of a darkened, sturdy wood and looked fairly new. 

"Here Eren, this should be better for you than that crowbar. At least this won't get stuck." Mikasa then sent her gaze to Armin, who reached for the wrench he had brought with him. 

"If that's gotten you this far, then I suggest keeping it just in case we need it." She nodded, putting the crowbar inside the bag for whenever they needed it later. 

Armin nodded in agreement and began to prepare himself mentally for the journey that awaited them, hoping that his grandfather was okay. When Mikasa was ready, she stepped before them and pointed outside.

"Since it's dark already, we have to keep our guard high and be as quiet as possible. I think it would be best if Armin stays between us. Given the condition he's in, he doesn't need to be straining himself. We'll stay close to each other and walk single file, only engaging if we absolutely need to. If we can outrun them, then we do so." Mikasa explained before stepping towards the door. 

Eren and Armin followed closely behind her in formation, with Armin instinctively reaching behind for Eren's hand. Eren felt the light brushing of his fingers and looked up at him. 

"Armin…" He called quietly, making the blonde turn in his direction. Eren gave him a quick but loving kiss before parting. "I love you." 

Armin blushed and nodded, returning a small smile to Eren. "I love you too." 

When Mikasa opened the door, the haunting visuals of the night greeted them with the soft whispers of the wind. The area around them was thankfully still barren with only the bodies from before still there. Mikasa led them along the same route she took when she had gone out earlier since it was the safest. 

From what she could tell, not much had changed that fact as there was still no signs of any sick people wandering around. When they got further from the power plant district and closer to the neighborhoods, that quickly began to change. Instead of walking on the streets or sidewalks, the three hugged close to the houses to keep out of sight.

Here they were lurking; stumbling around in the street in an almost drunken stupor and growling deeply at one another. Getting past them was possible as long as they were careful and quiet. Armin watched them stalk about, jaws snapping in anticipation for the next bite and felt his nerves leaving him only to be caught by the strong walls of his friends. They were the only things holding him together now.

Mikasa lifted one hand to halt the line and turned towards them. There was a larger group of the people blocking the exit that led towards the neighborhood that Armin's home was in and she had an idea to distract them. 

They huddled close to each other behind the shrubbery of one of the homes but before Mikasa could whisper to them, a loud bang followed by smaller ones came from the window next to them. The sound made them all jump and Armin fell over from the sight.

Inside of the home, a person was pounding their head slowly against the glass and eyeing them with a desperate hunger. The teeth seemed even more pronounced on this one since most of their mouth appeared to have been eaten off and their clothing was tattered and torn. As if that wasn't enough, one of the arms on the person looked like it had been fractured, dangling weakly beside their form. 

Mikasa quickly got Eren and Armin together and led them further away from that home and towards another where they hid behind a vehicle. It wasn't the safest of spots but they couldn't stay back there. She clutched a small stone that she picked up a little ways back. 

"I think I can lead them away with this. If not, we have to find another way around. Don't get scared though, it's going to get loud." She stood and looked across the street, picking her target carefully.

"Mikasa wait. Please be careful." Armin pleaded quietly, not quite sure what she was up to. 

Once she chose, she pulled her arm back before launching the stone at one of the older looking vehicles parked on the side of the street. It flew so fast and clashed with its target, smashing the driver's side window to bits and setting off the alarm just as she had intended. The wails of the vehicle were sent up and down the street, making every person in the vicinity turn towards it and growl. As she predicted, they all began moving towards it and away from the exit. 

She held the group back for a moment as it cleared before signaling for them to follow her again. She moved quickly, but not fast enough to be noticed by any of the people walking by. Luckily for them, the alarm silenced most of their steps which allowed them to move at a brisk pace. When they approached the exit, Mikasa ordered them to wait while she checked out the roads outside. In both directions, she could see some of the infected people that were answering the call of the vehicle alarm from further away. They were still quite the distance but they had to move now and be careful.

"Follow me and avoid the street lamps. There's more coming." Her words remained strong and they resonated through Eren and Armin, giving them the confidence to see this mission through without failure.

They followed her lead, sneaking through the shadows that led around the faded orange light of the street lamps. Shoes thumped against the asphalt as they scurried farther from the growing herd and closer to their target neighborhood. They knew they were close when they saw the concrete greeting signs that led into it. 

Armin's heart jumped happily in his chest when he noticed that there weren't any infected here and relief that his grandfather was okay began to fill him with energy again. He was so happy that he almost wanted to sprint to his home but he knew they still had to remain on guard. Each house they passed brought him closer and closer until he could see it in the distance. 

"We're almost there, Eren!" He exclaimed quietly, excitement layered in his voice.

"I know. We'll stay with your grandad tonight and then all go to the stadium tomorrow. Everything is going to be okay. Hopefully we can eat. I'm starving." Eren smiled, happy that Armin would finally be able to rest and recover from his wounds.

Mikasa stopped abruptly and motioned for them to do the same when they were at the driveways edge and she swallowed quietly. Unsheathing her machete, she beckoned for them to follow and she snuck quietly up the porch and to the door, which was flung wide open. Because of the shadows cast by the porch, they didn't notice until they were up close and like a cruel spell, it dropped their hearts to the floor. 

Eren took Armin's hand and they quietly followed Mikasa inside. For the most part, the home looked practically normal aside from a few things that you would only really notice if you actually looked for them, which Mikasa was.

She touched the door gently with her hand, tracing the scratch marks that could be felt but not really seen in the darkness. 

"They were here, but maybe he left out the back door." 

"Do you think they got the message to go to the stadium and that's why no ones here?" Eren asked in response to Mikasa. She figured that was the better of the two options and went with it, nodding in agreement. 

"Still, it would be a good idea to rest here for a little while so Armin can get cleaned up." She suggested before closing the door and locking it as they moved more into the home, examining anything that looked out of the ordinary. Armin walked to his room and let out a sigh of relief when everything was as it should be. Eren followed him and gave him a loving hug from behind that Armin leaned into and closed his eyes.

Mikasa scoped out the remainder of the home and paused when she got to Armin's grandfather's room. The door was slightly open but when she pushed against it, it didn't open all the way and thumped against something. She blinked curiously and pushed against it again with a little more strength and nothing happened. There wasn't any noise coming from inside so she pressed further, using her body to force the door. 

This time it did move along with the object that was blocking it. Whatever it was made a loud sound as it scraped against the hardwood floor. Because of that, Mikasa only moved it to where it had stopped and stepped inside. She was strong both physically and mentally, but she could have never prepared herself for what lie before her. 

She knew right away but yet something within her body drew her closer. The object blocking the door was a dark wood dresser and underneath it was the figure. Crushed from the chest down by the weight of the wooden structure was Armin's grandfather. The scene became clear to Mikasa and her lip quivered.

The infected were here. He was trapped inside his room and used the dresser to try and hold the door shut, but the evidence that they had gotten in was plain as day. The skin on his arms had been viciously feasted on, leaving almost nothing but bone. The sinewy flesh that made up his shoulders could be visibly seen through the tears in his shirt. It was grotesque and furthered Mikasa's statement from before; these were not people. No human being with a shred of a soul could be capable of this atrocity.

She jerked her head up suddenly when movement by the door caught her attention. 

Eren and Armin had come to check on her when they heard the sound and could tell right away that something was wrong. 

"A-Armin..wait.." She reached out a feeble hand to try and stop them but her words choked in her throat. Eren looked at her and then to the floor as he stepped inside, paling at the sight and quickly turning around towards Armin. He held Armin's shoulders and locked eyes with him. 

"Armin, look at me." He held the other and trembled. "Babe, just look at me…please.." As the words painfully left his mouth, tears unwillingly fell from his eyes when all composure he tried to hold onto slipped away.

"Don't look…" It was barely a whisper.

Armin kept his eyes on Eren the best that he could but they began to trail off to Mikasa and then to the ground when a quiet, breathy growl came from the darkness before they shot back to Eren. 

"Armin!" Eren then suddenly threw his arms around him, turning them so that Armin was facing outside of the door.

Armin usually never saw Eren lose himself like that and it confirmed what he figured they saw. He knew. Of course he knew. As the soft growls invaded his ears, he clung to Eren and buried his face in the others chest. 

Mikasa looked down and noticed that the corpse had started moving weakly, what was left of his arms scratching against the floor. She grit her teeth together and shook her head as she readied her machete. 

The growling steadily got louder and more desperate until she placed the tip of the blade at the base of his skull. She never hesitated up until now.

"Mikasa." Eren looked at her with desperate eyes while he held Armin and nodded his head. The noise had to stop. It was far too much.

She nodded and gathered herself as best she could before she drove the blade in, silence falling afterward. The sound of the blade ending whatever life was in his grandfather startled Armin before he broke down in Eren's hold, sobbing into his chest. 

Mikasa left the blade and watched as her tears pitter pattered onto the floor, mixing with the blood that was there. The strength that she had once held together so well broke like a mirror as Armin cried, shattering onto the floor into many pieces that she knew she would have to put back together. For their sake and her own.

Eren held Armin's shaking body, knowing that no matter what he thought he could say, nothing would be able to ease him. This was grief that he had to take into his hands and hold no matter how much it burned. He had to feel it all to let it pass.

After a moment, Mikasa stood and walked over to them, putting an arm around Eren while the other rested on Armin's shoulder. Eren brought one of his arms around her and they stood there, holding each other while the somber shadows of the room wept with them. 

It felt like minutes went by before Mikasa parted from them and the looked at Eren sadly. 

"We should move him." She looked back at the body on the ground knowing she couldn't leave him like that. Eren nodded and carefully led Armin, who was still silently sobbing, out of the room to talk to him. Armin's whimpers were caught harshly by each sharp intake of breath from his mouth. His throat felt like it was being stepped on. He realized now that he lied to himself earlier when he thought he couldn't be in any more pain than he was already in.

Eren never even thought to prepare himself for a conversation like this and was truly at a loss. He didn't want to let Armin go, but Mikasa couldn't move the body on her own and they couldn't wait much longer. 

"Armin…" He began with a quiet voice. It carried such heavy sadness and it took every amount of strength he had in him not to begin crying again. He pleaded with himself to stay strong for Armin who needed him so much right now. 

"I'm so sorry…" Despite it all, his voice broke at the end and he inhaled to calm himself. "I don't know what to say… But, I…I need to help Mikasa right now. Will you be okay?" 

Armin wiped his eyes and looked up at Eren with a look that broke him. The blue hue of his eyes looked faded, almost gray, and bare of any sign of happiness but surrounded with the shimmer of tears. There was no trace of the flickering hope Eren had seen there before. It had burnt out into ash.

"I promise, I'll be right back." Eren stepped close and held Armin's warm face, kissing his forehead gently and returning to the room. 

Mikasa watched him as he came in and reached to lift the dresser. Both of them brought it up with little trouble and moved it aside. They were thankful that his body wasn't too mangled from the injuries. 

"Let's put him on the bed and cover him up. It's too dangerous to dig a grave right now." Mikasa searched for a way to lift him that would be the least messy but they both had to get their hands dirty. 

She brought one of his arms over and across her shoulders and Eren did the same before they lifted him up and dragged him towards his bed. Eren tugged the covers aside and they set the body down carefully, repositioning him in a restful position on his back to cover him with the sheets. They crossed his arms over his chest and Eren took one of the pillowcases to cover his face. Armin didn't need to see it. They didn't want him to. 

When they had finished, they stood back and Mikasa reached for Eren's hand, giving it a soft squeeze.

"He can say goodbye." A single tear escaped Mikasa and she wiped it away. Eren felt his lip quiver at her words and bowed his head, clenching his other fist. Mikasa let him go and stepped outside to Armin. She could hear each little sob hitting the back of his throat like a hiccup and took his hands, holding them within her own. 

"Armin… Do you want to come in?" She swallowed to control her voice. "He's resting now." 

Armin nodded, following her lead and feeling comfort in her arm around him. When they entered, he froze for a moment but continued walking to the side of the bed where Eren was. Mikasa rubbed his shoulder when she felt him starting to cry harder again. He bowed his head and weakly stepped towards the bed, kneeling a bit and putting his hand over his grandfathers covered chest.

The words were trapped, constricted by his throat so tightly that it was painful. The hands of agony were wrapped tightly around his lungs, clutching them relentlessly and feeding off of his desperation to speak. 

"G-Goodnight…" He whined, stepping back and clinging to Eren, nestling his head in his neck. Mikasa stepped close and hugged him along with Eren for a few more moments before they all stepped out of the room, closing the door behind them. 

"You should get cleaned up, Armin. I'm sure a warm shower will do you some good." Mikasa suggested, even though Armin didn't even look like he was listening. Crying took so much energy out of him that he was just an empty shell, kept going by a force that not even he knew. Eren placed a hand on Armin's slumped shoulder and looked at him.

"Armin?" 

Armin looked up and put his hand on Eren's as his crying began to slow down a little bit.

"Yes…I'll do that.." And he slowly walked away towards the bathroom that was beside his room. Mikasa motioned for Eren to follow him and the other did so, keeping a close watch on him. 

As Armin stepped down the dark hallway, he swayed in his steps and put a hand on the wall for support. When he got to the bathroom, he looked at the switches and turned on only a small light that was mostly used to provide a glow in the dark. It wasn't nearly as bright and harsh as the others.

"Armin… Do you need help?" Eren asked him quietly from the door frame. With a silent nod, Armin rested his hands on the counter to keep him standing. Eren stepped in and behind Armin, taking the hem of his shirt gently. 

"Whenever you're ready." After Eren spoke, Armin lifted his arms so that he could get the shirt off. Eren removed it with ease and put it aside before turning back to Armin. The bruises from where he had fallen down the stairs were a deep purple now and Eren hadn't even recalled seeing them before when he checked him. No wonder he was hurting so much.

On top of that, Armin looked thinner than usual. Over the days leading to the current events, Eren remembered Armin not finishing all of his food during lunchtime but he just chalked it up to Armin not being hungry. It wasn't anything too unusual, but now he wondered if all the stress was causing his appetite loss.

"I'll go get you a change of clothes." Eren gave him a soft kiss on his cheek and stepped out of the bathroom. He walked to Armin's room and towards his dresser where he knew he kept his comfort clothing. The two had spent the night together many times so Eren was familiar with the way Armin had everything set up in his room. He picked out a pair of black sleeping pants and rummaged around for a shirt. Picking out a simple grey t-shirt, he gathered the rest of what he needed and returned to the bathroom.

Armin had already gotten the water running by this point and cleaned himself up. He watched the water that ran down his battered form as it mixed with the dried blood, leaving a swirl of slightly red water that was swallowed by the drain. 

"Your clothes are here, Armin." Eren said, just enough so that Armin could hear him. 

"Eren… Will you wait outside for me?" Armin asked sheepishly. 

"Of course. Just call me when you finish." 

The fact that Armin was speaking a little more now made Eren feel a bit better, but he wasn't so ignorant as to not know that Armin was still hurting. After his parents passed in a traffic accident when he was young, his grandfather was the one who raised him so they were very close. Now that Eren thought about it, Armin didn't have any family left that they knew of. 

He leaned against the wall just outside of the bathroom with his arms crossed and waited patiently. Once he heard the water turn off, there was a few moments of silence until Armin meekly called out for him.

Eren stepped in and looked at Armin. His eyes were still red and puffy, making Eren assume he had cried more during his shower. He had his towel wrapped around his waist and now that he was all cleaned off, he did look much better physically. Aside from the injuries. Eren grabbed one of the smaller towels and stepped forward, draping it over Armin's head and starting to dry him off gently.

"Careful… I hit my head when I fell earlier. On this side." Armin pointed to the side of his head that had a good sided bump.

"Got it." Eren was extra careful on that end until he finished and put the towel on the counter. Armin looked up at him and then to his chest before hugging Eren and closing his eyes. 

"Hey… I'm still all dirty, you know? But as soon as I shower, I'll hold you all you want. I just need you to do something for me first." Eren smiled, holding Armin lightly against him.

"Mmm?" Armin hummed in response.

"I want you to eat something. You're looking thin." Eren kissed the top of his head and watched him. "Okay?" 

When the command left Eren, Armin's stomach growled loudly and he flinched to stop it. He hadn't eaten anything all day except for a granola bar early in the morning before he'd left for school and was so distracted with everything else that his stomach forgot all about being hungry. As soon as food was mentioned by Eren, it snapped him back into reality.

"I'll try.." He parted from Eren and nodded, gathering the clothes that Eren brought for him to change into. 

Eren stepped out once more to meet with Mikasa this time. She was sitting in the living room curled into a fetal position and looking outside of the window. She wore an expressionless look and didn't move an inch when Eren approached her but only tightened the hold on her arms.

"How is he?" She asked quietly, keeping her gaze to the window.

"As good as he can be I suppose. He needs to eat something though. A full stomach and a good nights sleep should do him good." Eren sighed and sat beside her. "I could say the same thing about you. You got us here alive. We could all use rest as a matter of fact." 

Mikasa looked down and exhaled.

"Should I have done it? Taken something Armin held so dear like that?" She frowned and buried her face into her knees. "What if there was a cure? What if your dad knew something that could help him? His grandfather was all he had…" 

"You did what you had to do, Mikasa. You wouldn't have done it otherwise. I don't know if dad could've done anything for him but from the look of it, I don't think so. And honestly, in his condition, what chance did we have to get him there alive? I think if anything, you saved him." 

Mikasa looked up at him and found some comfort in his words. 

"You're right." She sighed before standing up. "You go ahead and get yourself cleaned up. I'll see if I can get something for Armin to eat when he gets out." 

Eren nodded and walked back to Armin's room. He kept a spare change of clothes to sleep in there for whenever he stayed the night. They were nestled right beside Armin's in the dresser and he took them, his own body aching to rest. On his way out of Armin's room, he caught him in the hallway and gave him a tender smile. 

"Hey, how are you doing?" He meant it more about Armin's physical well being rather than how he was actually feeling mentally. Armin still didn't show much emotion. 

"I think I've run out of tears honestly…but it still hurts." His voice was quiet and slightly raspy from his injured throat and he rubbed it gently. The statement struck a sad nerve in Eren, but he understood. Armin felt another warm drop stream down his cheek and brought a hand up to his face to cover his eyes.

"Ah.. I guess I lied…" He chuckled in spite of himself. Eren frowned and stood before him, placing an hand behind Armin's head and pulling him close. His lips rested on his forehead and Eren closed his eyes. It was a tender kiss, sending so much feeling through it that he hoped it would be able to wrap itself around Armin's aching heart.

"It's okay, Armin. With everything you've been through today, all these feelings have to come out somehow. Mikasa is getting you some food so promise me that you'll eat. Even if it's just a little bit cause after my shower, I'm all yours." 

Armin nodded and gave Eren a small smile. It was all he could manage since his body was still riddled with anguish but he didn't want Eren to worry about him. Armin continued to the living room where he saw Mikasa sitting on the couch. Quietly, he stepped over and took the seat next to her.

Both of them sat in silence for a moment before she reached for the plate on the coffee table before them. 

"Here. It's not much but I figured it would be better if we didn't cook anything." The plate was nicely arranged with different fruit that Armin's grandfather had grown himself. It was something that he prided himself on and Armin had quite the green thumb because of all that he had learned from him. Even though he figured he would never need to grow his own food, it felt nice to do so. 

Armin looked at it and then rested his head on Mikasa's shoulder. 

"Please…don't feel like this is your fault." His grasp on the plate tightened a little. "He was hurting… I'm sure of it. But he isn't now so…thank you." Armin's voice trembled at the end and he took a breath to steady himself. Mikasa remained still and bowed her head. She still felt guilty, but Armin did ease her some.

"I'll take this guilt with me for a long time, but I'll do my best." She leaned her head against his for a moment before pulling away when Armin's stomach growled.

"Now, eat a little bit or else I'll never hear the end of it from Eren when he gets out." She offered a small smile and picked out a strawberry for Armin, knowing those were his favorite. Taking it from her, he bit into it softly and made a face when the slight bitterness struck behind his ears before the sweet flavor overpowered it.

Right away, his stomach growled hungrily and he continued to eat the succulent fruit. He offered Mikasa a slice of peach and she gratefully took it, making a soft sound of satisfaction from how sweet it was.

"What's the shelter at the stadium like?" Armin asked to keep his mind occupied on something other than the cloud of sadness that was lingering above him.

"There were a lot of doctors and people from the military there to keep everyone safe. It looked comfy enough too. They turned most of the offices into rooms for guests." 

"I wonder how they're going to fit everyone inside. I know the stadium is big but to hold the entire population even given the current casualties seems like a bit of a stretch." 

"Well, Eren's father mentioned something about only letting in people who weren't sick. Maybe there's another shelter for the sick people." Mikasa thought. 

Now that Armin had mentioned it, there was no way they could fit everyone inside and there weren't any other buildings large enough to sustain something of that scale except for the school but they were all witness to what was left of it. Something more had to have been going on. She shook the thought away when Eren came down the hallway and into the living room.

"You're up, Mikasa. I left some of my clothes in the bathroom for you." He stepped over and took the spot beside Armin and smiled at him, rubbing his shoulder with his hand. Mikasa nodded and headed down in the direction Eren had come from.

"Thank you for eating. I was worried about you." Eren gave Armin a soft kiss on his cheek. Armin offered the plate to Eren and he took a couple of strawberries, downing them quickly. 

"I'm fine now." Armin replied quietly and set the plate back down on the table. "I just really want to rest." 

"Then let's get ready to sleep. Doesn't this couch have one of those pull out beds in it?" Eren asked. Armin nodded and they both stood up, moving the table to the side so they could open it. Eren tugged at the loop and out came the mattress in a flash. Armin couldn't remember the last time they used this thing, but it was big enough for all three of them. 

"Do you want the pillow from your room?" Eren asked while Armin crawled onto the bed. 

"No, these are fine." 

"We do need a blanket though." Eren turned to one of the lounge chairs in the room. One of them had a large white blanket draped over it. Eren took it and unfolded it, draping it over the bed as he crawled onto it and laid down on his back. Armin took the fuzzy blanket in his hands and fidgeted softly with it next to Eren before looking at him. 

Eren's green eyes locked with Armin's blue ones and called to him silently with their tender gaze. Armin laid down and nestled close against Eren, pressing his forehead against Eren's strong chest and holding his shirt in his hand. Eren wrapped his arms around him, kissing the top of his head. 

Armin closed his eyes and fought against the urge to cry again. The grief wouldn't leave him alone and it felt like he was standing in the rain, letting it fall against him. He gripped Eren's shirt tighter and a whimper escaped.

"If you have to cry, you can babe… Let me be here for you." Armin didn't need much more than that and slowly, the tears fell. It was more calm this time though, each little sniffle becoming quieter the more sleepy Armin got.

"I love you so much, Armin." Eren whispered lovingly, hugging the other to ease him. 

"I love you too.." He kept his hold until Armin's sniffling quieted and he drifted off into the welcoming embrace of sleep. 

Shortly after, Mikasa came out of the bathroom and looked at them both, giving a warm smile. Eren looked at her as she sat on the side of the bed and then back to Armin.

"I think this is the fastest he's ever fallen asleep." Eren wanted to smile at the statement, but couldn't bring himself to do it because of the reasons why Armin was so tired. 

"Let's hope that it's a restful nights sleep. He's going to need the energy once we figure out our plan for tomorrow." Mikasa averted her gaze to the window, eyeing the shadowy figures that were stalking about in the distance. The alarm had definitely attracted them from all around, but thankfully they were heading towards its direction in the other neighborhood.

"What do you think we should do? Walking over there isn't going to be easy as easy as it sounds if these things are around every corner." Eren was curious if Mikasa had thought of anything yet with her having gotten them this far.

"I think we can do it if we just cut through the buildings and stay off the main roads. There's an apartment complex not far from here with a fire escape that we can use to climb to the roof. I'm sure we'll be able to get a good view on which way would be best to go from there."

Eren thought about the plan and it sounded full proof to say the least.

"What happens if we get cut off somehow? Or worse, trapped in a building?" 

"We won't. If I've learned anything, it's that sound attracts them and buildings have plenty of windows. We can just lure them away from any exit we want to take." 

"You know Mikasa, you almost seem a little too prepared for this. I guess all that training did do you some good. At least we just have to reach the stadium and then we can all finally rest up and wait for this to be over. Speaking of rest, we should all sleep." 

Mikasa nodded in agreement and laid down on her side of the bed, pulling the blanket up and closing her eyes.

"Goodnight, Eren." 

"Night." 

__

The cloudy morning came much too quickly and brought with it the unknown of a new day. The room was lit in blue and grey tones and all was quiet in the household except for a soft thumping sound. Eren shifted awake slowly, careful not to wake Armin who was still completely out in his arms. Green eyes fluttered open slowly and he noticed an empty space where Mikasa was when they had settled in the night before.

He picked his head up and looked around, frowning in confusion and growing concerned when he heard the thumping. Being as careful as possible, he parted from Armin and moved off of the bed, carefully covering him up once more. He stepped throughout the home, listening for and following the sound until it led him to the kitchen where a door led outside to the backyard.

Through the window he could see Mikasa and walked outside to meet her. She had a shovel in her hands and had dug quite a sizeable hole in the ground next to the garden. There was beautifully ripened fruit and vegetables scattered around in a rainbow of color against the greenest of plants which both Eren and Mikasa had seen many times before. Beside her was something large wrapped up in a white sheet.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Eren asked with a raised brow.

"It doesn't feel right to just leave him in there. He deserves this much at least." Mikasa explained, tightening her grip on the shovel again and continuing her digging. Eren went to the shed nearby and took a shovel for himself too, returning to Mikasa's side.

"At least let me help you." Without another word, the two worked on the hole until it was deep enough. They jumped out and lifted the body together, placing it in the ground before covering it up with the soft soil again. When it was completely finished, they stood back and looked at it to pay their silent respects, leaning against the shovels for support.

"Was Armin still sleeping?" Mikasa asked.

"Yeah, I didn't want to wake him. Considering he usually wakes up before me, he had to have been exhausted. He slept through the night though so that's good." Eren looked up at the clouds overhead that were puffy and grey with a mighty stature. 

"Was there rain forecast today?" 

"I don't think so. It might just be the seasons changing." Mikasa looked up with him and watched as the smaller, wispier clouds danced across the sky along the winds current.

"Either way, let's head inside and get ready." Eren nodded in agreement and they went inside to wash their hands, going back into the living room. Mikasa scanned the streets in front of the house from the window and saw that there weren't any of the infected lingering around now. Eren sat on the bed beside Armin and ran his fingers through his slightly messy bed hair as he pet him. He was still sleeping soundly.

Mikasa had gone back to gather the bag that she had brought with her and evaluate the plan she had for their trip today. Their destination was still so far from Armin's home and even though there were no infected here absolutely didn't mean that they weren't elsewhere. She was still unsure which way or why they were traveling. If they were similar to pack animals, what were they searching for? 

Eren whispered softly to Armin, lightly kissing his forehead. It pained him to wake the other up but he knew deep down that he had to. Once they reached safety, Armin would be able to rest as long as he could without interruption.

After a little bit of coaxing, Armin inhaled and let out a tiny mewl as he shifted under the blanket. He stretched only a little since his body was still rather sore and slowly, his blue eyes opened halfway. To Eren's relief, the color had returned to them although his eyes themselves were still a little bit swollen from crying the day before. He blinked the sleep away and looked up at Eren, rolling onto his back.

"Morning." Eren greeted him, smiling warmly. 

"Morning.." Armin replied in a sleepy voice. 

"Did you sleep well?" Eren asked, laying beside Armin and resting his hand on his waist while the other propped him up. 

Armin nodded and looked up at Eren, giving him a small smile. Despite everything that happened, he was still able to do so even though the sadness in his heart still had a firm grip on him. Eren made it better though. He and Mikasa were the ones that were pulling him out of the abyss. That and today they were going to reach safety and see this through. 

"Eren, I love you.." Armin's voice carried like a feather, light and soft as it reached Eren. 

"I love you too, babe. So much, you know that?" Eren rubbed their noses together and the contact elicited a small giggle from Armin. 

Mikasa stepped out from the hallway with all of her gear ready, except for her machete which rested against the door. She set the bag that was over her shoulder down next to her and went to sit on the bed beside Eren and Armin. 

"Good morning, Armin." She smiled, happy to see that some color had returned to his skin. 

"Good morning." Armin smiled in return and sat up along with Eren. 

"I think we should eat a little something before we go to keep our strength up. It's a bit of a trip and we won't be able to eat again until we reach the stadium. That could be a while if we get trapped and have to take a detour." Mikasa suggested, having already mapped out a route in her mind. Eren and Armin both agreed.

"You two go get changed into something comfortable. I'll get us something to eat." 

Eren and Armin stood and headed for his room while Mikasa went into the kitchen to find something for the three of them. Armin looked through his closet and shifted through the clothes.

"Do you think we should take extra? Just in case?" Pausing, he looked over at Eren who was taking his clothes from the dresser.

"I suppose, yeah. Just make sure it's not too much so you don't weigh yourself down." 

Armin nodded and took a couple of shirts, reaching for another bag he kept in his closet to store them in. He did the same for his pants and other things he felt he needed. When he finished, the bag wasn't too heavy at all. Eren took his clothes and slung them over his shoulder carelessly and scratched his head, thinking of anything else that he could be forgetting. Armin had another bag for Eren to carry his things in so they could both pack efficiently.

After collecting what they felt was necessary, they went back to the living room and left their things beside Mikasa's before meeting her in the kitchen. She had prepared some sandwiches for the three; a kind that she always made for them whenever they went camping or to the beach. They ate quietly and discussed the plans that Mikasa had come up with in detail as to not miss anything and arrange a meet up location if by the off chance they got separated.

Once they finished, they cleaned up the area and left it how they had found it, if not better. Everything was put away nicely and they began to step out of the kitchen before Mikasa paused and looked at Armin. 

"Armin, before we go." She began, bowing her head slightly and holding out her hand. Eren knew what she was doing and followed Armin when he approached her. She led him outside and to the small grave she and Eren had made for his grandfather. Armin paused and looked at the pile of soft soil on the ground and felt his throat close slightly. 

Bringing back the feelings wasn't something Eren or Mikasa wanted for Armin but at the same time they wanted him to know that his grandfather had a proper burial. That he wasn't just cast aside in a hurry. 

Armin took a few steps towards the kitchen door and stepped inside halfway, grabbing the canvas sun hat from the wall where it always hung. He brought it outside, holding it close to his chest as he crouched down before the grave. The tears fell slowly when he set the hat down and he placed a stone on the rim to keep it in place from the wind.

Eren and Mikasa watched him, ready to be there for him if need be. As Armin stood, a gentle breeze blew by that made the tears on his cheeks feel cold as he looked up into the sky with a smile and his eyes closed.

"Mikasa, Eren? Thank you…" He said softly, opening his eyes to send his gaze almost through the clouds above them. All the sadness that he was feeling wounded him, had him bleeding fiercely but it was Eren and Mikasa that stopped it. The wound was always going to be there but he found comfort in feeling it heal slowly. He stood and turned back towards them, hugging them both.

"Let's get going."

They gathered their belongings from inside the house and stepped outside towards what was once the bustling town of Shinganshina. Mikasa's route took them along the outer edge of the town yet even here, there was affirmation of what occurred the day prior. There were vehicles both crashed and parked on the sides of the roads with no one in them. The ambiance in the air was eerie, wafting the sense of terror as it past silently by.

It looked as if a tornado had struck the closer they got towards the more civilized area of town. There was debris of all kinds littered throughout the streets and shop windows were shattered to nothing. At a second glance, it seemed like they had been inside Armin's home for years given the state of everything around them. Like time had moved in fast forward without the touch of humanity to keep it as they had always known. 

They had managed to get close to the vicinity of the stadium but the haunting growling sounds let them know that they weren't alone any longer. On their way, they had seen a couple of the infected sauntering about in the deserted streets but were smart enough to keep their distance. Here, however, that had to change. They needed a better view of what they were getting themselves into.

Mikasa led them back towards a tall building a few blocks from their destination. Once inside, they made a break for the rooftop as it would give them a perfect line of sight. The elevator took them up floor after floor until they reached the top and the three stepped out for their first look of the town from this high up. 

What they saw mercilessly stole the hope they were holding onto into it's unyielding jaws.

From the highest floor, they could see the stadium. It was surrounded by the infected for blocks, the once strong gates that Eren and Mikasa had seen previously torn down to nothing. They looked like ants feeding on a carcass and there were so many that the streets surrounding it had disappeared completely from view. There was dark smoke coming from the center of the bowl where the white tents were lined up that clouded the sky above. 

"M-Mom…and Dad.." Eren barely managed to enunciate the words. Armin turned to Eren and hugged him, leaning his head against his chest. As much as he wanted to look away from the horrific sight before them, he couldn't bring himself to do so. Reality was the puppeteer, forcing them to absorb all that could be seen before them into their very core. 

Even Mikasa was shocked, left speechless by what was supposed to be their beacon. She was so ready to have this whole ordeal be over and know the two people closest to her would be safe. Angry, she adjusted her bag on her shoulder and turned away from the window, heading back toward the elevator.

"Mikasa?" Armin looked after her along with Eren, who had tears brimming along his eyelids.

"We can't stay here." She said plainly, trying to force the feeling of betrayal out of her.

"But Mikasa, where can we go? There's nothing left here." Armin replied, trying to find some sense within his hopelessness.

"Then we find something. You can't tell me that this is over. That it all ends here." She stood tall and shook her head. "No, there has to be something somewhere. We just need to find it." 

That new hope of something more lit a fire in her, incinerating any tribulation that had dared creep its way out. She was determined to make sure that they made it somewhere safe. 

"We'll head back to stock up on food and water. Then we head out of town to the west."


	4. Westward to Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is Chapter 4 finally!
> 
> I wanted to make sure I got this chapter out before October since that's going to be a very busy month for me. I have lots of things planned so my writing time will be limited. Then, once October is over, I'll be busy with other things. Some friends are visiting for a few months and I want to spent as much time with them as I can before they leave again. So I'll try my best to keep the story updated quickly but please bare with me if things get slow. 
> 
> As always, please excuse any errors I might have missed and I hope you all enjoy!

Surviving; something that was once regarded as a skill for people who lived in the past and faced the dangers of the old world had now become something of a daily routine for Eren, Armin and Mikasa. It was something they had to quickly learn through and through. Living without knowing what each day would bring them or knowing where they were going. Without the comforts of a warm, fine cooked meal or a roof overhead that they knew belonged to them. Knowing that danger was out there wearing the faces of people who once led fulfilling lives just as they had. Simply without the luxuries of the life they once knew.

Walking from place to place, even though it tired them out more, was one of the only options they felt they had seeing as every road was congested with vehicles from the panic of everyone trying to escape to safety. It was just not possible to get one through. That, and most of them were housing corpses that had succumbed to either thirst or starvation. 

Almost all of them contained the infected. People who were bitten and tried to drive for medical help only to have the metal shell around them become their tomb. The only ones that didn't were abandoned by people who simply thought that it would be faster if they ran away on foot. Within the graveyard highways, the group took what they could when their own supplies had began to run low. As wrong as the grave-robbing felt, they knew it had to be done unless they themselves wanted to end up with some road as their final resting place. 

The first week was easy. It was like the camping trips they had taken many times before except bears and mountain cats were the least of their worries. Instead of sleeping in tents, they sought shelter in any home or building they could find. As long as the structure had four walls and a door they could barricade in the event of an attack was fair to pick. It wasn't until the necessities became scarce that they began to struggle.

As another day was drawing to an end, they found their home for the night in a small deserted town. Where it was exactly, they had no idea since none of them knew where they were. They checked the stores for anything edible or for things would be useful to them even though, time and time again, they were left with nothing but empty shelves. 

Sometimes, they did get lucky. Today was one of those times as one of the supply rooms had a few boxes of stale crackers and a couple of water bottles. They scavenged until dusk greeted them before they settled into one of the convenience stores. It was easy to lock up and the back door had been made secure by pushing the desk that was in the office against it.

They set their things down on the carpeted floor of the office and sat in a circle, fatigue hanging over them like a canopy. Their stomachs were growling as they opened the box of wheat crackers that was their meal for the night. Each of them only took what they felt they needed, now rationing themselves more carefully after completely running out of food the day prior.

Most of the time, they ate in silence. As if just mere speaking would drain them of what little energy they had. However, the lingering silence that filled the room with it's uncomfortable presence made them long for each others voices. Yet still, what was there to talk about? 

Of course, they could go on and on about the things they missed. People they missed, the joys of eating lunch at school with their friends, going out into the country side to relax and how they took it all for granted. Things like that only brought them down lower than they already were and made it harder to keep going knowing that those things could very well be lost forever. 

By now they were almost unfazed by the dead whenever they would happen to pass by, bumping into the buildings they stayed in on their journey to wherever it was they were going. Or perhaps they were just as lost as they were. Looking for something that wasn't there while being driven by something unknown.

Finally, the silence was broken.

"How much farther do you think we can go before we find something?" Eren asked Mikasa, taking a tiny sip of water to moisten his dried mouth.

"I don't know, Eren…" She sighed, taking the bottle when he passed it to her.

Every town they had passed through was an exoskeleton of what it once was. Each good thing that made it lively and a place to call home was ripped away. The silence that lived there was powerful, keeping even the natural sounds of mother nature at bay as if even she was killed along with everything else.

"We just have to keep going. Maybe if we reach the sea we can take a boat to an island. Live off fishing, you know?" Armin suggested, trying to sound like he had some sort of optimism.

"I mean, that would be great if we could drink salt water." Eren sighed, looking at the bottle again when Mikasa passed it to Armin, desperate for another drink but at the same time knowing they had to conserve it.

"You're right.." Armin curled up into a ball after his drink and hugged his knees, his sliver of hope from that thought stolen away by Eren even though it wasn't intentional. 

He knew they all felt the same way he did. Heads hurting from hunger, mouths dry, and muscles aching for a break after each long day of walking. It had them all short tempered and was mostly the reason they avoided talking, as to not hurt each others feelings.

"We can check out the buildings we missed in the morning. Let's just get some sleep." Mikasa suggested, laying down on the carpet and curling onto her side. Eren and Armin looked at each other before doing the same, laying beside her and snuggling close to each other.

"Eren…" Armin whispered, poking Eren's chest in a nervous manner. Eren made a soft noise in response to him.

"I love you…" Armin kissed Eren's chest, closing his eyes and leaning into the other.

"I love you too, Armin. Don't worry. We'll find something." Eren kissed the top of his head in return and they both fell into a deep sleep.

__

Along with morning, a small rainstorm came into the town bringing with it some cool northern air. The sun was blanketed by the grey clouds which provided the three with some much needed shade. They ate a few more crackers before heading out for the next stretch of their journey. 

The remaining buildings in the town didn't yield much of anything so they continued onward. Small droplets fell on them and provided some relief and distraction from the current situation, even beginning to lighten the mood between them. They reached the end of the town and looked outward to the stretch of road before them, wondering how much walking there would be until they could rest again.

The leaves that had fallen early from the trees chased each other on the ground as the wind blew them carelessly, providing the only sounds the three could hear. It was comforting knowing that autumn was coming but it also brought with it the solemn thoughts of things they were going to miss out on.

All thoughts were shook aside however when they noticed a small building on the side of the road. It looked like a gas station and from what they could see through the windows, it looked to have some food still resting on the shelves. Without any hesitation and their stomachs waking from their hunger induced slumber, they ran inside.

To their shock, there were some canned foods scattered about among the other nonedible things and it brought smiles of relief to their faces as if they had just stumbled upon a city of gold. Like a pack of hungry animals, they rushed towards them and began stuffing all they could into their bags until a sound interrupted them. 

They all froze and turned towards the source of it, taking their guard. Mikasa stood and unsheathed her machete as she stepped towards a closed door on the far end of the building. Eren and Armin remained close behind her with their weapons ready to attack as well. As they got closer to the door, they could hear shuffling from inside. 

"Maybe one of them got trapped inside. We should leave it…" Armin whispered, but Mikasa kept her fierce gaze to the wooden door. She reached her free hand out and gave the structure a single tap with her knuckle and the shuffling came to a halt, silence following afterward. 

Both Eren and Armin looked at each other in confusion. If it were one of the dead, it would've been pounding at the door instantly. Instead, there was simply silence. Mikasa gripped her machete tighter and took a stance before sending a hard kick to the wood, nearly knocking it off of it's hinges.

"H-Hey! Not dead! N-Not dead!" The frantic voice came as Mikasa kicked the door open, her machete held high and prepared to strike. The red headed man dropped both his weapon along with his bag and held both of his quivering hands up in forfeit. 

"Please! Don't kill me! I-I'm just looking for food. I'm hungry just like you all." His honey brown eyes darted between the three and back to Mikasa as she lowered her blade. He knew better than to mess with her just by looking at her.

"Sorry." Not wanting to further their time here, Mikasa turned to leave with Eren and Armin.

"Wait, where are you going? You guys look pretty tough. Can I come along with you all for a little while?" Mikasa stopped and turned around towards him as he stood, grabbing his hunting knife and stepping towards them. 

"I can help you all." The man fidgeted and cracked nervous a grin. 

The three looked at him and figured it couldn't hurt, but they knew nothing about him. Armin watched the man carefully with an unchanging gaze from his stance behind Eren.

"Look, we don't even know where we're going. Are you sure you really want this?" Eren asked, frowning at his desperation.

"You all don't have a camp or anything?" 

Mikasa shook her head.

"Did you come from one?" Armin asked, the thought of a camp where they could be safe lighting a small flicker of hope.

"No, I'm just going where the wind takes me." Floch replied.

"We're just heading in one direction and sticking to it until we find something. That's all. We stay wherever we can for the nights." Mikasa explained.

Again, the man stepped closer and held out his hand, standing proudly.

"Well, my name is Floch. Pleased to meet you. I'm originally from up north but I was visiting friends here when this whole shit storm began with the dead." He smiled.

The three looked at him and Mikasa returned the handshake.

"Mikasa." She looked at Eren and Armin.

"I'm Eren and this is Armin." 

"Excellent! I hope we can become great friends and survive together as long as fate gives us, eh?" Foch beamed with a chuckle. 

Eren was annoyed with how giddy the others demeanor was but figured it wouldn't hurt to have someone else to watch their backs. It was Armin, however, who felt uncertain about him and remained quiet as he watched him. Mikasa led the way again and made sure to keep herself on high guard for any dead that could be lurking around.

"So where are you all from and how have you made it this far? It can't have been easy." Floch asked curiously as he walked beside them.

"We're from Shinganshina and honestly, I don't think we would've made it this far without Mikasa." Eren explained. 

"You said you were from up north right? Where exactly?" Armin chimed in, raising a brow to the other.

"Oh, just some little town in the middle of nowhere. I was getting sick of it really so I came to see what kinds of lives my friends were living. Maybe inspire me to change things up." 

Armin nodded and followed the others back to the food they had found earlier, taking everything they could manage.

"Ah, I figured you all looked hungry. Luckily there was a bunch of stuff here, right?" Floch smiled, patting his bag. "No worries, that's all yours. I already cleared out the stock room." 

"Thank you. We really appreciate it." Mikasa responded before leading them out of the now empty store.

"So what made you all decide to head west? The coast? Or are you just traveling on this ones instinct?" Floch asked, gesturing to Mikasa.

"Not sure. It just feels like the right way to go." Eren sighed, wondering himself why Mikasa chose this direction in the first place.

The group continued on for hours, talking lightly with each other to distract them from the fatigue that was weighing them down like steel shackles on their ankles. As it began to get later, they took a detour off of the main road to begin scouting for somewhere to rest for the night. They hadn't seen a house or any sign of a town since they had left the one before and their concerns began to grow as the sky started to darken more and more. 

"What are we going to do? If we can't find somewhere safe…" Armin shuttered at the thought of being left out in the open with the dead in the middle of the night.

"Why don't you all just sleep in shifts? You don't need a roof over your head to be safe." Floch suggested crudely to Armin.

"We kind of wanted to avoid doing that. I don't want one of us passing out or not having the energy to fight if we need to. There has to be something around here somewhere." Mikasa frowned, keeping their pace steady.

"Well, ya got me there." Floch admitted defeat and pressed on with the group.

They continued their search until past dusk when every little sound of the forest they were in started to frighten them. The eyes of the shadows were locked on, staring almost through them as they trespassed further into their domain. They wouldn't know if something was coming for them until it was right on them. 

"Mikasa we have to make a call. Maybe we should listen to Floch." Eren finally spoke up after scanning the area around them.

"No, Eren. I'm not leaving us to sleep outside." 

"Mikasa what choice do we have? There's nothing in sight! If we keep this up, we'll end up walking all night and then what?" He responded desperately, both in worry and anger.

"Keep your voice down. Let's just go on a little longer." She snapped back, facing Eren and giving him a serious look. Floch put his hands on his hips and sighed.

"Look, before you three kill each other or attract the dead with your bickering, I have a suggestion. You all rest here and I'll keep watch. How does that sound?" 

"But then what about you? We have another full day of walking tomorrow. Do you really think you can keep up without rest?" Armin fidgeted and gave Floch a concerned look.

"Tch! Of course I'll be fine. I'm not some weakling." He raised a taunting brow at Armin and smirked.

"I…wasn't suggesting that you were.. Lack of sleep can affect everyone." Armin proceeded with caution when he spoke.

"I'd like to see it try. Now hurry up and pick your spots. You're wasting moonlight." 

The three did as Floch instructed and looked around for a place where they felt would be safest. Sleeping in the trees was simply out of the question so they settled for an area with a lot of cluttered shrubbery thinking that they would be less likely to be spotted. Still, the idea of sleeping here made them all uneasy.

Out of all the times they had slept in new places since this started, this was the first time they truly craved an actual bed. The softness and safety that a bed provided was such a painful desire at this point but not as painful as the hard ground beneath them. The nighttime wind provided a steady chill, it's fingers leaving goosebumps against their skin and they cursed the fact that none of them thought to bring a blanket.

The only source of warmth they had was each other, like a small flickering flame in the darkest of rooms. They ate a few more crackers to settle their stomachs before choosing their spots to sleep.

Armin laid down between Eren and Mikasa, snuggling close to Eren's chest. Eren wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close, kissing the top of his head. The gesture only made Armin press himself closer. Floch made him slightly uncomfortable, but he didn't want to show much of that. If this man was going to travel with them for the rest of the way, he didn't want to subject himself to the torment.

When Eren kissed him, a crooked grin played across Floch's face and he chuckled softly to himself. The way they were all snuggled up with each other, so helpless in the terror of night made his heart flutter. He almost had to catch himself so he wouldn't laugh too loud.

"Well, have a good night you three." He sneered, changing his expression when Eren's eyes met with his.

"Yeah. Thanks for keeping watch."

"No worries at all." Floch shot him a friendly smile and took a seat on a log beside them.

___

Armin hardly got any rest during the night despite how tired he felt and was the first to wake up when the scent of smoke caught his attention. He blinked to clear the sleep from his eyes and looked around, not seeing Floch immediately. After moving Eren's arm off of his waist, he sat up and looked around. 

Nothing looked too out of place from the night before and it was only when Armin sat up that he noticed the smoke was actually close by. He stood up and walked towards it, meeting with Floch who was sitting beside a small campfire on the other side of the shrubbery.

"Good morning." Armin said quietly, catching the scent of food that made his stomach growl so violently, he put his hands over it to try and quell it.

"Morning." Floch said plainly, eating what looked like a soup of some kind from the can that he heated using the fire. There was silence between the two and Armin broke it before it got any more awkward.

"So…do you go camping often? Where did you learn to do that?" 

"Eh, it's just something I picked up. Not to difficult." Floch continued with his eating, not making eye contact with the other. Armin's brows furrowed slightly and he let out a sigh. Every single time he tried to talk to this man, he only received the vaguest of answers.

"Is Eren your boyfriend or what?" Floch asked, turning his head towards Armin, locking eyes with him. Armin blushed and scratched his cheek.

"Yes, but umm…if that sort of thing bothers you I can ask him to hold off on his affections." Again, Armin's stomach growled loudly and he held it to quiet the sounds.

"Nah, not really. I was just curious. You better eat something so that stomach of yours can be quiet." 

"Right." Armin went over to his bag and reached into it, shifting through the cans before taking one out and returning to Floch. He sat across from the other and eyed the can and then the fire.

"You just have to put it there. Let the heat warm up the bottom, mix it, then repeat. Seriously it's not that difficult." Floch eyed the other, amused from his ignorance of survival tactics. Armin was about to do as he said before Floch's sudden laughter cut him off.

"Look, dumbass, you have to open it first. City kids, man. I swear." He chuckled.

Armin blushed from embarrassment and looked down, thankful that the can was one of those that had a metal tab. How he would open it otherwise was beyond him. When he got it open, he placed it beside the fire near the hot coals and waited, looking over at Floch. It was then that he took notice of the can that Floch was holding. He meant to spark conversation by asking about the type of soup it was but the fact that it was identical to the can he brought stopped his train of thought.

Not wanting to delve too much into it, he settled with comforting himself by remembering that the cans were taken from the same store and perhaps that was the cause of the coincidence. Shortly after, Mikasa and Eren woke up from the scent of the food and came over to the fire. 

"Morning guys!" Floch's demeanor did a complete one eighty when they approached. "Armin and I are just having some breakfast before the road ahead. You guys should eat something too." 

"That sounds great. I'm starving!" Eren bolted to grab a couple of cans for himself and Mikasa. 

"Look, all you have to do is open them up and set them on the coals for a while. It's basically like a homemade meal." Floch explained while Armin watched him, studying his change in behavior. 

Eren and Mikasa took the spots beside Armin and opened up their cans, setting them beside the one Armin had placed earlier. 

The morning was another cloudy one, the scent of rain from the day before still lingering . The forest here seemed much more lively than the ones closer to the towns. Birds were chirping and there were small animal calls ringing in the distance. It was peaceful when you pushed aside the fact that the dead could also be walking around out there. 

Floch paid special attention to the animal sounds, turning towards them and smiling which piqued the others interests.

"Hey, Floch? What are you listening for?" Mikasa asked. 

"Oh, just the sounds. I've always loved animals. Ever since I was a kid so whenever I'm out in the woods like this, I take a moment to appreciate them. It makes me happy that they're fast enough to get away from the dead." 

"Are there not many animals back home where you're from?" Eren raised a brow. 

"Yeah, there are. I just don't get to see them very often." 

Armin raised a brow and thought to himself before switching his gaze back to the can on the coals when Floch made eye contact with him.

"What's up, Armin? You gave me a weird look just now." 

Floch startled him, not thinking that he would call him out on it and both Eren and Mikasa looked at him as well. 

"O-Oh, nothing. I was just wondering, why don't you just go hiking or something if you want to see the animals so much?" Armin kept his voice steady and looked at him.

"I don't have the time." Floch said plainly.

"Is it your job that's keeping you from it? What do-" The fire made a small crackling sound suddenly when the burning wood shifted slightly.

"Hey! You all should check on your cans. We nearly got sidetracked with this conversation and forgot all about them." Floch laughed, cutting Armin off and reaching behind him.

"Here, you can grab them with this. So you don't burn your hands." He tossed a handkerchief over to Mikasa. "Just use that to move them out of the heat. They can cool on the side and then you can eat." 

The three did as he told them to and let their cans sit for a while to cool down. After a few minutes, they each took their first heavenly bites of the only warm meal they'd had in weeks. 

"Whoa! Floch this is amazing!" Eren exclaimed. 

"Hey watch out! Don't be too loud. The dead could be anywhere." Floch laughed. "But you're welcome." 

Even Mikasa was surprised with how good it was considering it was just a can of soup but given what they had been through, this was a five star meal compared to the stale crackers they had been living off of before.

"Thank you, Floch." She acknowledged him and gave a small smile to show her gratitude.

"Don't mention it. Just think of this as payment for letting me tag along with you guys."

When they finished everything, they cleaned up the area and put out the fire before heading out with their stomachs full for the first time in a long while. The mood between them was so much better now and they joked around with each other, laughing and treating the journey more like a hiking trip.

Still though, Armin kept an eye on Floch and his mannerisms while wondering why he was being so short with him. Armin didn't feel like he'd done anything to upset or offend him. He even made a point to ask if it had to do with him and Eren before but Floch had no issue with it. Even as they traveled, he took note of Floch commenting to Eren that they made a cute couple. So what was it? The more it hovered in his mind, the more it bothered him and the harder it was to mask that something was on his mind.

They walked on from morning till the afternoon and saw signs indicating that they were approaching another town soon. Each one brought them closer and closer until they reached the ten mile mark. 

"Hmm, the town of Stohess? I've heard of it, but I've never been there." Floch commented, excited to see what the town had to offer.

When they entered, they very quickly realized that it was like all the others; voice of any semblance that life once existed there. What was different about this one though was that it had basically been reduced to ruin. Buildings that once stood were obliterated, left in shambles on the scorched earth beneath them. Some of the buildings on the outer edge of the town managed to hold their form and those were the ones the group went to investigate first.

"Wow…what do you think happened here?" Armin asked, staying close to Eren as they stepped over the wounded ground.

"You all think it was military?" Floch asked, just judging by the extent of the damage.

"Maybe, but why would the military attack this town?" Eren turned towards Floch with a worried look.

"I mean, if it was military, that would be a quick and easy way to get rid of the dead. Just wipe them all out before it spreads. Guess they were too late though, huh?" 

The three paused and looked at Floch both in realization for how much that actually made sense and terror that the situation would have to have come to that.

They scavenged what they could further into the town and approached a supermarket that had chains binding the doors shut. The windows were too dusted over to see much of anything inside but the group was determined to check it out. 

"We have to find a way in here. As big as this place is, there has to be something inside." Eren remarked, tugging at the doors. The chain rattled against the glass while the doors wobbled within the frame. 

"Too bad we don't have bolt cutters." He scowled.

Floch stepped closer to the door and gave it a thorough look up and down the glass before stepping back and giving it a strong kick. The force made the glass crack, but it wasn't enough to break it. The others were startled at the sudden, powerful kick but figured that it was a step forward.

"Damn it! So close. I think one more should do it." Floch laughed, readying up for the second kick up until one of the dead slammed into the glass from the other side. It happened so quick, Floch nearly fell over.

This was the fastest one the three had ever seen and it crashed into the glass with so much force that it nearly broke through. It was biting and scratching fiercely at the at the glass, nails and teeth screeching against it. The chains smacked against the door each time it pounded against it and they appeared to aggravate it more.

"Holy shit.." Floch turned around when the sounds of growling drifted into his ears and he was welcomed with the sight of plenty more dead stumbling towards them from behind.

"Hey, guys… I think we were followed." 

Eren, Armin and Mikasa turned away from the increasingly violent person behind the glass and paled when they saw how many they were being approached by.

"Oh my god…" Armin's whole body began to tremble.

"A-Are you serious?! How did we miss a herd this big?" Eren began to panic. Luckily for them, none of them seemed as crazy as the one that was caged in the building.

"No idea, friend but we're gonna need a plan now. Mikasa talk to us, you got anything?" Floch backed towards them and they all took a defensive stance with their weapons in hand while Mikasa thought.

Fighting this many would take forever and they would be overwhelmed in minutes. Not to mention the one behind the glass. If it broke through while they were preoccupied with the others, someone was going to die. Mikasa grit her teeth and shook her head.

"We run for it. There's no other choice. We have to get as far away from-" 

The sudden crashing of glass behind them cut her off and they all turned towards it. The enraged person had broken through, falling against the shards of glass that were still attached to the door frame and impaling itself through the stomach. Despite the extent of the injury, it didn't slow it's erratic movements in the slightest. Each violent maneuver sliced it up more while its arms and legs struggled to lift it up.

After enough struggling, the pointed piece of glass it was stuck on fell from the door frame and the body had much more control now, staggering to its feet and nearly roaring at them.

"Fuck! Run!" Floch yelled, snapping the three out of their fear induced state before they took off into the only direction they could see that wasn't blocked by the dead.

The four took off into a sprint that left dust behind them, feet trampling the ground beneath them in a thunderous chorus that collided with the growls of the dead that were in tow. As desolate as the town seemed at first glance one would have never known the threat and sheer amount of dead that had made this ruin their home. It was almost as if this destruction did nothing to stop them.

The herd trailing behind kept their same lumbering pace and began to fall behind into the smoke, but the bloodshot eyes of the crazed one were fixed on them. Like a predator, it ran near full speed after them with teeth bared and the intent to devour. 

Floch kept glancing back, noticing that it was hot on them and readied his knife.

"We need to split up to lose this guy or he's just gonna tire us out! He'll follow one of us and whoever it is needs to deal with him!" 

Mikasa looked back at him and then to the others, looking for approval in there fear stricken faces.

"Wait! That's crazy! How will we find each other?" Eren called out. 

"There's too many for us to hide here! We need to get out of town! We can find each other after we're safe! Just keep heading in this direction!" Floch commanded, becoming more desperate as the growls of the crazed one were even closer now.

It was so incredibly fast and agile that it was actually gaining on them now, making their hearts pound. If any of them tripped, that was it. 

"That's it I'm calling it! We need to do this now!" Floch pushed forward, running in between Eren and Armin. 

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three!" 

They all four split and ran towards the buildings, Mikasa remained going straight while Eren branched off to the right and Floch went to the left with Armin.

"Eren!" Armin cried out, fear building more now that they were separated.

"Shut up and move!" Floch grabbed Armin's shoulder and straightened him, pushing him forward in the direction they were running. They kept going until they realized they weren't being followed by it and took a moment to catch their breaths. 

Floch leaned against the building and held his chest, smiling through his panting.

"At least it didn't come after us, right?" He laughed softly, swallowing to steady his breathing. "I know for a fact that Eren or Mikasa can handle it no problem." 

Armin looked at him from his slumped position while he held his chest. Considering the strength of the dead one, he wondered if his friends really could handle it. They had faced and triumphed over many of them but never before had they seen one as violent as this one. Sure there were others similar but never to this extent.

"I hope you're right…" 

"Come on, let's head this way so we can meet up with them." Floch led the way further in the direction they were running, walking casually with his knife twirling in hand. There was a few moments of silence before he spoke again.

"Hey, Armin? How many of these things have you killed?" Floch asked curiously. 

"N-Not many. Trust me if I didn't have to, I wouldn't…" Armin looked down sadly, reminded of the lives his wrench had ended. The crimson stains that lay upon it being a permanent indication. 

Floch kept facing forward to hide the beaming look on his face and smiled from ear to ear.

"You're not a very violent person, are you?" He asked, steadying his voice.

"No. I hate fighting…"

"So let me guess, you were the kid that got thrown against lockers all the time? Beat up in the hallways or on your way home from school? Shoved in the mud?" 

Armin paused as each word struck painfully at his nerves.

"Y-Yes.." Being reminded of those things bothered him, making him feel as if they were happening all over again.

"But Eren was always there to help you, huh? Is that why you turn into a little whelp of a person when he's not around?" 

Armin looked up at Floch and stopped following him. Something about the way the other was speaking was sending the ugliest of feelings through him, his voice making his skin crawl.

"Hmm?" Floch finally turned around and looked at Armin when he stopped, a crooked smile plastering itself across his face.

Armin had seen serpents with a kinder disposition than this man was presenting and it churned something deep within him. It almost made him nauseous.

"Ah, who am I kidding. I'm just teasing you." He snickered, turning back around and walking towards a field that was in sight. "Let's keep moving."

Armin weighed his options and knew that following Floch was really the only one he had. His heart was beating uncomfortably inside his chest with each step he took. As they moved to cross the street that led to the field, they were met with three of the dead. 

"Shit… Armin get ready!" Floch commanded, rushing towards one of them and driving his hunting knife through the base of it's skull. It slumped over right away and he went for the next one that was closest to him. 

Armin gripped the wrench and froze up as the dead man approached him, growling and snarling viciously. He made a feeble swing, only knocking it back a little bit. Once Floch had dispatched the second one, he turned and looked over to Armin with a raised brow before running in front of him. The dead man brought his arms up, reaching for Floch but the other easily held him back. Blood began to drip down when the dead grabbed onto the knife blade in a red trail down both their arms.

They struggled for a moment before Floch turned and looked at Armin, suddenly stepping aside and letting the man go, leaving him to fall straight onto Armin's small frame. 

Armin let out a yell and dropped the wrench and his bag to grasp the oncoming arms. The two fell to the ground and Armin pushed against its strong shoulders as it snapped at his face, teeth only inches from him.

"F-Floch! What are you doing?!" He cried as Floch looked on in amusement with a grin splayed on his face. 

"Sorry, Armin. A world like this isn’t meant for the weak. Eren and Mikasa don't need you slowing them down." He scowled, easing Armin's bag towards him with his foot before picking it up. 

Armin's blue eyes widened and shock flowed through him all while he struggled with the heavy body above his own.

"N-No, Floch. Please!" Armin's voice quivered. "Please help me!" 

Floch slung the bag over his shoulder along with his own and stepped away with the evilest of smiles. It wasn't until Eren's voice echoed close by that he paused and turned towards it. 

"Tch! Damn it all…" He growled before running and hiding behind one of the buildings close by.

"E-Eren!" Armin cried out desperately in response to his call. Shortly after, Eren ran up to him and his heart skipped a beat at the sight before him. 

With a determined growl, he ran and kicked the dead off of Armin to free him. Eren took his weapon and slammed it against the skull of the man roughly until it stopped moving. Mikasa arrived from the commotion as well with her machete bloodied up from the crazed man that attacked them before. 

When the scene was safe, Eren moved to Armin and lifted him to a sitting position to check on him. Armin was frantic, his whole body shaking and his eyes wide with fear.

"Armin? Are you okay?" Eren asked, not getting a response. Mikasa came to kneel beside them.

"Armin? What's the matter? Are you hurt?" Eren asked again. Armin's mouth barely moved, as if he wanted to speak but couldn't. The fear was holding him hostage.

Just then, Floch came running back and panted, setting his and Armin's bag down.

"Holy crap. Are you all okay?" He asked, in a worried tone.

Armin nearly jumped when he saw him, backing up a little bit and holding onto Eren for dear life.

"Armin what happened? Talk to me!" Eren demanded as Armin's silence started to really concern him.

"H-He.." Armin began.

"We were running away from that thing when we were attacked. I told Armin to keep running while I fended them off but he dropped his bag. I went back for it but I didn't think there would be more waiting for him.." Floch built the story as he spoke, threading the words together to create a perfect lie.

It left Armin speechless. 

"Thank goodness he's okay. Man, Armin… Taking out almost three of them at once?" He laughed happily. "I knew I made the right choice traveling with you all." 

Floch stepped forward to place Armin's bag beside him before offering a hand to help him up. Armin flinched after the hand was lowered to him and his grip on Eren tightened.

"Armin? Babe… What's going on?" Eren went from demanding to pleading with the other, desperate for answers.

Meanwhile Mikasa looked around at the scene before them, studying it and looking up at Floch before standing up herself.

"He's obviously shaken up. Just give him some time." Floch locked eyes with Armin. "He doesn't need to say anything right now." As he spoke, he made sure to coat the venom in his voice just enough so that the others wouldn't catch it.

Armin stiffened and bowed his head. His mind was running at a million miles an hour, thoughts processing and trying to think of something to say. Floch was dangerous. If he was ready to leave him for dead, what else could he be capable of?

"Th-Thank you…for getting my bag." Armin whimpered weakly, slowly standing up with Eren's help. 

"Yeah, anything. As long as you're okay. I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner to help you." Floch replied.

"It's fine. We're all okay and that's what matters. Let's keep going." Mikasa gave the scene one last look before they took off towards the field. 

The entire way, Eren kept pressing Armin but the other refused to say anything knowing that Floch's eyes and ears were on him. He was cunning, had them fooled into thinking that he was a friend. Hell, he would've fooled Armin too had he not been so mean to him right from the start. Now Armin knew he needed to find an opening to expose him. Traveling with someone like this was going to get them killed. But when? When would he get the chance?

They continued walking until they reached some homes further past the outer edge of town where they decided to rest for the night. The area around them appeared to be farmland with plenty of fields on all sides which was perfect for keeping watch since the herd back at the town still had them apprehensive. If it was Mikasa's choice, they would've gone a few more miles in a different direction in case they were still being followed.

This time, they all agreed to sleep as long as every door to the home they were in was secured in some way. 

"We should stay together. Sleep here in the living room just in case we need to get up and go quickly." Floch suggested, setting his things down on the rug.

Eren and Mikasa agreed, but Armin gave him a displeased look. He was like a herding dog, doing everything he could to make sure they stayed together and within earshot so that Armin would keep his mouth shut.

It kept up like that for the days following, the two watching each other and waiting like two animals facing off in a challenge of who was going to break first. Eren could tell something was wrong and Armin's silence on the matter was beginning to upset him. Eventually he had given up asking him over and over, switching to just ignoring him unless Armin spoke to him. 

Mikasa kept her eyes on Floch as well. She knew Armin better than that. There was obviously something going on ever since that time in Stohess. Floch's story didn't make any sense to her. There were holes in it. She remembered scanning over every little detail and one thing in particular kept prodding at her mind. 

Two of the dead that were with Armin had stab wounds, but Armin fought with a wrench. And they obviously weren't there before since the blood was fresh.

Still, she kept these thoughts held close to her as they traveled. Floch didn't seem to be acting any different. He was his usual self and helped them out with anything they needed. Some of the skills he had were valuable in helping them out and he was rather knowledgeable when it came to surviving.

Food started to get low as the distance between towns got longer which had them searching every inch of the places they passed through. They didn't feel like they were eating any more than they had before, but it was still depleting at a rather rapid rate. 

They managed to find a small warehouse to spend the night in. It looked like it had been abandoned for a long time even before the dead took over, wearing rusted colors with shattered windows and cobwebs as far as the eye could see. Some of the metal on the walls had been eaten away by the jaws of time and all the machinery was blanketed in layers of dust. 

The atmosphere within was spooky, as if the ghosts of what this place once was were still lingering around but the group knew this was the best place they could rest. They barricaded what they could and settled in for the night in the main room. Floch brought in some dried leaves and branches from outside to make a small fire for their dinner. It brought them warmth in the cold chill of the room as the smoke rose out from a hole in the roof.

Conversation was absent for the most part during their meal, Floch occasionally adding chipper comments about what was next for the world and when they would find something or how it would rebuild.

Armin kept a steely gaze at him. He had been doing so ever since the incident back in Stohess and he wasn't about to let him get away with it. He just needed an opening. 

They finished up their food and put out the fire for the night, picking their spots to sleep and settling down. Eren, Armin and Mikasa slept close together while Floch took his spot a little further away. Slumber caught them quickly, pulling their tired bodies into its healing realm for what they wished would last an eternity.

Something startled Armin awake in the middle of the night and his blue eyes scanned the area around where they were sleeping, noticing right away that Floch was nowhere to be seen. That fact sent a chill up his spine and he carefully wiggled free from Eren's hold to search for him. The warehouse was dark, but enough could be seen from the light of the moon as he walked about it's interior.

He turned down one of the winding hallways and noticed that all the doors were shut except for one of them way down at the very end. Gathering himself, he stepped towards it and halted when he heard quiet shuffling. Keeping his steps as quiet as possible, he peeked inside and saw Floch stuffing something inside of his bag quickly.

"Floch? What are you doing?" Armin asked, his brows knitting together curiously. 

Floch nearly jumped out of his skin and turned around quickly, keeping the bag behind him. 

"Jesus, Armin… Don't sneak up on people like that." He laughed, scratching his head. "What if I mistook you for one of the dead? That would be bad for both of us." 

"Look, don't play coy with me, Floch. Answer the question. What are you doing in here?" Armin asked in a stern tone, focusing his eyes.

"I'm just checking my bag. I like to keep track of what I have but that's none of your damn business." He frowned with a serious look, locking his eyes back to Armin's. 

Armin shook his head.

"Don't lie to me. You're stealing something." 

Floch then raised a brow and an offended look plastered across his face. 

"Did you just accuse me of stealing? On what grounds?" He growled.

"Simply the fact that your behavior right now is that of a common thief. Hiding in the dark, playing a fool, and refusing to answer the question. Which you would have no problem doing if you were innocent." 

"Wow, you are an asshole you know that? But all you've got going for you is that innate perception of people." Just then, Floch's face contorted into a sinister grin. "You can't fight for shit." 

Quickly, Floch rushed Armin and roughly grabbed his throat, pushing him against the wall behind them and stepping dangerously close to him. He pressed one knee between Armin's legs to bring their bodies closer. Armin gasped and reached up to grab the arm that was holding him captive while the other pressed against Floch's strong chest. 

"Now listen here, you little bitch. You've got a brilliant mind, I'll give you that, so I know you'll do the right thing and listen to what I tell you." Floch threatened in a low growl, his breath kissing Armin's inner ear from how close he was.

His other hand took his hunting knife from it's holster on his belt and he slowly lifted Armin's shirt with the tip of the blade. Armin tensed up and his body went rigid from the feeling of the sharp, cold steel against him. The hand that was against Floch's chest instinctively went to try and hold it back, but Floch forced it against Armin's hold. Armin didn't want to breathe out of fear of it cutting him, if it hadn’t already.

"I said I was from up north, remember? I mean, I guess I never really specified exactly where but I'm from a hunting village in the north. So you see, I know a thing or two about gutting animals. Bison, deer, fowl, pigs, you name it. Wouldn't take much for you seeing as how skinny you are and really how different are we from wild game?" 

Armin let out a whimper and tried to turn his head away from the carnal voice that was resonating deep into his eardrum but Floch only switched his grip so that his hand was gripping Armin's face from underneath his chin. Surely Floch wouldn't kill him. Would he? There's no way he could get away with it. Or maybe he wouldn't have to. What was honestly stopping him from killing him right here and leaving without a trace? That frightened Armin even more. 

"P-Please…" He whispered, forcing himself to hold his tears back.

"Oh? You're begging now? How rich." Floch pulled his face away from Armin's neck and glared at him, his once honey eyes appearing to be stained red with malice. They had an evil glow to them, slits shining in the darkness.

"Keep talking." Floch paused, bringing the knife up from Armin's supple stomach to his quivering lips. "And I'll cut your tongue out." He practically stuck the tip of the blade into Armin's mouth and made the blonde gasp, his whole frame shaking. 

"Tch! That's what I thought. Now, listen closely cause I'm only saying this once. You never speak of anything that happened here, you hear me? And for the love of god, stop watching me every damn second of the day. If you keep that shit up, I might just take those pretty blue eyes out too." Floch removed the blade from Armin's mouth and pressed the flattened side across Armin's eyes, making Armin shut them tightly. 

And for a moment, Floch froze and looked at Armin, relishing in the fear he caused him. His heart was thumping excitedly within his chest like a caged beast during feeding time. He slowly brought the knife down from Armin's eyes and then towards his neck, pressing the blade against the tender skin while the hand that once held him captive cupped the side of Armin's face. Armin's heart was beating so fast and so hard that Floch could practically feel it from the artery the knife was pressed against.

"God… What I wouldn't give to cut into you.." He hissed pleasurably before letting out an exhale and bowing his head, chuckling softly. The knife was finally pulled away and returned to it's holster. 

"Anyway, I hope you got all that. If not…" Floch began, grabbing Armin by his neck again and shoving him roughly to the ground. "Then you should lay here a while and think it over." 

Armin's body slammed against the floor and he laid there, refusing to move a muscle until Floch was gone.

"Remember, Armin. It's survival of the fittest now. Everyone and everything is fair game." 

The words, along with the floor, were cold as ice and they held him there until Floch's footsteps had become silent down the hall. Armin brought his hands up to his mouth to stifle a gasp in realization that there was definitely a murderer among them, tears streaming down his cheeks now that they felt safe enough to come out. The worst part of it all was that he couldn’t say anything. It would surely cost him and his friends their lives.

He remained curled up there for a little while, collecting himself and his thoughts before slowly staggering to his feet. Before going back, he knew he had to clear any sign that he had been crying and shake away any remnant of fear in case Eren woke up. The hallway seemed more forbidding when he started along it, body quivering with each step knowing that Floch would be back where they were sleeping. 

As he got closer, he turned the corner slowly and saw Eren and Mikasa sleeping soundly where they were before with Floch sitting on the far end. Despite being shrouded by darkness, Armin could tell he was watching him. The gaze was piercing and the malevolence was thick in the air, radiating off of him in waves. 

Armin's feet froze in place and didn't budge no matter how hard he tried to move them. He felt the tears coming again and grit his teeth to try and stop them. Eren was right there, just a few feet in front of him. If Floch made a move to attack again, all Armin would have to do is scream. The three of them could easily overpower him, right? No, he didn’t want to take that risk. Not yet.

Eren was the only thing that pushed him forward although the steps were slow. Once Armin reached him, he lowered himself to lay down again, not taking his eyes off the other until Floch made a movement. Armin froze up when he saw him reaching for his knife again and his breath began to shake.

"Turn around." Floch's voice was low and carried like a taunting song but the message was clear as he pointed the tip of the blade towards his own eyes, tapping beside them. 

Armin recalled the threat from before and quickly closed his eyes, laying down and burying his face in Eren's chest, pleading for morning to come. 

And soon enough, it did. 

Armin woke up but stayed right where he was, curled close to Eren. He wasn't about to go looking for Floch or even check if he was there. He didn't even want to look away from Eren. Although, the room was completely silent and didn't feel as filled with the dreadful feeling as it had before. 

Eren shifted slightly, stretching his body out and laying on his back which gave Armin more of a view to the room before him. 

No one else was there. Just the three of them.

Quickly realizing that fact, Armin sat up and looked all around. Floch was nowhere to be seen. 

None of the barricades they had set up that night were moved. Everything was just as it had been before they fell asleep. 

He looked around from where he was sitting and checked outside the windows for smoke but didn't see any. It puzzled him. What was going on? With Floch gone, he felt both safer and more concerned. If Floch wasn't anywhere to be seen, he couldn't hurt them but at the same time his absence made Armin think that an ambush of some kind was waiting for them instead. 

Figuring it was safe enough, Armin sighed and turned to reach for his bag to eat. Not seconds after he did so, his heart sank to the floor. 

His bag, along with Eren and Mikasa's were gone.

"N-No… No, no.." Armin panicked, standing up and looking all over the room for their things but they were not there. It was then, in that moment, that it hit him.

_'Remember, Armin. It's survival of the fittest now. Everyone and everything is fair game.'_

Floch's words punched him so hard he almost fell over. This was no coincidence that both Floch and their things were missing. He dropped to his knees and smacked the hard ground with his fist, teeth grit from both anger and betrayal. 

Slowly, Mikasa stretched herself awake and looked over at Armin and his obvious distress. 

"Armin what's wrong?" She asked, turning a tender gaze towards him.

"It's gone…" He whimpered, holding his head with one of his hands while the other laid limply against the floor.

"What's gone?" She asked, nudging Eren awake.

"Everything, Mikasa!" Armin cried out. "He took everything!" 

Eren was jolted awake by Armin's sudden outburst, his heart beating quickly.

"Armin what are you-" Mikasa began before she realized what he meant. The only thing they still had was her machete, which she kept close to her while she slept. Eren looked around with her and noticed the same thing, anger igniting within him. 

"You can't be serious?!" Eren stood up and ran towards one of the doors they blocked, shoving the barricade aside and looking around outside for Floch. The perimeter was clean.

"He was right…" Armin bowed his head, tears falling when he recalled the ordeal from last night.

"Right about what?" Mikasa went up to Armin, rubbing his back to try and comfort him.

Eren stepped up to Armin suddenly and frowned.

"Wait…you knew?" Eren kneeled down before him and shot a glare at him. "You knew he was going to do this and you didn't say anything?!" 

Armin flinched back from the rise in Eren's voice, his body trembling as he nodded his head. 

"What the hell is wrong with you?! We're going to starve now! Didn't you think of that?!" Eren had completely snapped, reaching for the collar of Armin's shirt and gripping it tightly.

Armin gasped and swallowed, taken aback by the anger in Eren's emerald eyes that were always so tender with him. Mikasa gripped Eren's arm and she shot daggers at him.

"Let him go. Now." She hissed, tightening her grip. 

Eren held on for a little longer before letting go and turning away from Armin.

"He was going to kill us…" Armin sniffled, bring a hand up to his neck. "H-He tried to kill me…" 

The wave of guilt crashed over Eren, making him feel even more upset. He stood up and walked outside, slamming the door to the warehouse behind him. Mikasa hugged Armin, letting him cry it out while revenge brewed within her. Eren and Armin were her family, and Floch had the cowardice to try and hurt them while she slept.

"Mikasa…what do we do?" Armin wiped his eyes, and turned towards her.

"We keep going. That's all we can do."


End file.
